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Leadership
Alex Thursby
Non-Executive Chair
Alex has over 30 years of financial, risk, and strategic experience within the banking sector. He served as a non-executive director of Barclays Bank Plc from 2018 to 2019 and was the Chief Executive of the National Bank of Abu Dhabi from 2013 to 2016.
Between 2007 and 2013, Alex held senior roles at Australia and New Zealand Banking Group, following a 20-year career at Standard Chartered Bank from 1987 to 2007. He also served as a non-independent non-executive director of AMMB Holdings Berhad, listed on Bursa Malaysia, from 2008 to 2012. AMMB is part of the AmBank Group, one of the largest banking groups in Malaysia.
Other roles: Alex is Governor and Chair of the Board of Governors at Giggleswick School.
John O’Reilly
Chief Executive
John joined Rank in April 2018 as Chief Executive, bringing over 30 years of experience in the betting and gaming sector. From January 2017 to April 2018, he was a non-executive director at William Hill plc and chaired the Transformation Oversight Committee. He also served as a senior executive at Gala Coral Group from August 2011 to April 2015, where, as Managing Director of Coral Interactive (Gibraltar) Ltd, he successfully launched and built Coral’s online business.
Prior to Gala Coral, John was an executive director on the board of Ladbrokes plc. During his 19-year tenure with Ladbrokes (1991 – August 2010), he launched and developed Ladbrokes’ digital business and managed a broad range of functions including marketing, property, business development, public affairs, and trading.
In June 2015, John became non-executive chairman of Grand Parade Ltd, a digital design and development agency, selling the business to William Hill plc in August 2016. He also served as a non-executive director and chair of the remuneration committee at Telecity Group plc from September 2007 to January 2016.
Richard Harris
Chief Financial Officer
Richard joined Rank in May 2022 as Chief Financial Officer. He has extensive experience in corporate finance, divisional and commercial financial roles, investor relations, and financial reporting.
Before joining Rank, Richard was the Chief Financial Officer at Foxtons Group Plc, London’s leading estate agency. He also held the position of Group Financial Controller at Laird Plc for three years and spent over 11 years at Marks & Spencer plc, where he held several senior finance roles. Richard is a Chartered Management Accountant.
Katie McAlister
Non-Executive Director
Katie has extensive experience in digital and marketing and has been responsible for a number of digital transformation and business change programmes. She began her career with TUI in 1998, working in the Commercial area of TUI UK & Ireland, with roles in trading, product, and destination services.
In her current role as President of Cunard, part of the Carnival plc group, Katie is responsible for the core marketing disciplines, including brand management, advertising, digital CRM, and e-commerce for the Cunard brand.
Other roles: Katie previously served as Chief Marketing Officer for TUI Northern Region (UK, Ireland, and Nordic) and sits on the TUI Northern Region board.
Lucinda Charles-Jones
Non-Executive Director
Lucinda has over 25 years of executive-level experience in human resources, most recently serving as Chief People and Corporate Responsibility Officer UK & Ireland at AXA SA, where she was responsible for shaping the environmental and social aspects of the corporate responsibility strategy.
Her previous roles include HR Director positions at Hays PLC, the Towergate Partnership Co Limited, and RAC Plc’s Consumer Division.
Other roles: Lucinda is a non-executive director and trustee at Business in the Community.
Karen Whitworth
Senior Independent Director
Karen qualified as a Chartered Accountant with Coopers and Lybrand (now PricewaterhouseCoopers) and has over 20 years of board-level experience across a variety of roles in commercial, operational, and governance functions within private and FTSE 100 organisations.
Most recently, Karen spent over 10 years at J Sainsbury plc, where she served as a member of the commercial board and director of Non-Food Grocery and New Business. Earlier in her career, Karen held positions at BGS Holdings Limited, an online entertainment business, and senior roles at Intercontinental Hotels Group Plc between 2000 and 2005. Additionally, Karen served as a supervisory board member and audit committee member at GS1 UK Limited until 2018.
Other roles: Karen is the Senior Independent Director at Tritax Big Box REIT plc, Chair of the Audit Committee and Non-Executive Director at Tesco Plc, and an adviser to Grow Up Farms Limited. She is also a Director and Governor of Nuffield Health, a not-for-profit registered charity.
Keith Laslop
Non-Executive Director
Keith joined Rank’s Board on 1 September 2023, bringing a wealth of corporate financial experience from the gaming industry. Most recently, he served as Chief Financial Officer at Gamesys Group Plc (Gamesys). In 2013, Keith co-founded Intertain Group, which, after completing five acquisitions, became one of the 200 largest public companies in the UK (as Gamesys), before being acquired by Bally’s Corporation in 2021.
Keith previously served as a Principal of a family office, President of Prolexic Technologies, the world’s largest distributed denial-of-service mitigation provider, and as CFO and Business Development Director at London-based video gaming software developer Elixir Studios.
Keith is a Chartered Professional Accountant and holds the Chartered Financial Analyst accreditation.
Chew Seong Aun
Non-Executive Director
Seong Aun has over 30 years of experience in finance and banking and spent more than 18 years with the Hong Leong Group.
Until 15 May 2024, he served as Executive Director and Group Chief Financial Officer of Guoco Group Limited, and Non-Executive Director of Lam Soon (Hong Kong) Limited, both of which are listed in Hong Kong and are part of the Hong Leong Group.
Prior to this, Seong Aun was Chief Financial Officer of Hong Leong Financial Group Berhad, an associated company of Guoco Group Limited listed in Malaysia from 2006 to 2020. Earlier in his career, he held senior banking positions across the Middle East and Asia. Seong Aun is a Chartered Accountant (FCA) with the ICAEW and a member of the Asian Institute of Chartered Bankers, Malaysia.
John O’Reilly
Chief Executive
John joined Rank in April 2018 as Chief Executive, bringing over 30 years of experience in the betting and gaming sector. From January 2017 to April 2018, he was a non-executive director at William Hill plc and chaired the Transformation Oversight Committee. He also served as a senior executive at Gala Coral Group from August 2011 to April 2015, where, as Managing Director of Coral Interactive (Gibraltar) Ltd, he successfully launched and built Coral’s online business.
Prior to Gala Coral, John was an executive director on the board of Ladbrokes plc. During his 19-year tenure with Ladbrokes (1991 – August 2010), he launched and developed Ladbrokes’ digital business and managed a broad range of functions including marketing, property, business development, public affairs, and trading.
In June 2015, John became non-executive chairman of Grand Parade Ltd, a digital design and development agency, selling the business to William Hill plc in August 2016. He also served as a non-executive director and chair of the remuneration committee at Telecity Group plc from September 2007 to January 2016.
Richard Harris
Chief Financial Officer
Richard joined Rank in May 2022 as Chief Financial Officer. He has extensive experience in corporate finance, divisional and commercial financial roles, investor relations, and financial reporting.
Before joining Rank, Richard was the Chief Financial Officer at Foxtons Group Plc, London’s leading estate agency. He also held the position of Group Financial Controller at Laird Plc for three years and spent over 11 years at Marks & Spencer plc, where he held several senior finance roles. Richard is a Chartered Management Accountant.
Hazel Boyle
Chief People Officer
Hazel joined Rank in September 2022 as Chief People Officer. She has extensive HR experience, having led business growth, turnaround, and transformation initiatives in high-profile organisations.
Before joining Rank, Hazel held similar positions at Future Plc, ITV plc, M&G plc, STV Group, and ITN. Educated in Scotland, she holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Human Resource Management.
Jon Martin
Chief Operating Officer
Jon joined Rank in January 2019 as Interactive Finance and Strategy Director. He was appointed Managing Director of Rank International in December 2020 and subsequently took on the role of Managing Director of Rank Interactive in June 2021.
On 1 July 2023, Jon expanded his responsibilities to a broader Group role as Chief Operating Officer. Prior to joining Rank, he was a Commercial and Strategic Business Partner at William Hill Plc, where he held various finance roles. Jon is a chartered accountant.
Jonathan Plumb
Chief Information Officer
Jonathan joined Rank in October 2018, bringing extensive experience from the betting and gaming sector. Before becoming CIO, he served as Rank’s Technology Delivery Director, where he successfully led change initiatives across the company’s technology platforms.
Throughout his career, Jonathan has delivered numerous strategic, transformational, and integration technology change programmes both within and outside the gaming industry, having worked with companies such as Gala Coral, Ladbrokes, and GVC.
Sarah Powell
Director of Investor Relations and ESG
Sarah joined Rank in 2009 following a 12-year tenure at KPMG, where she worked in the corporate tax practice. Since joining Rank, she has held several roles and is currently leading the Group’s Treasury function, as well as overseeing the company’s Investor Relations and ESG programme.
Andy Crump
Mecca Venues Managing Director
Andy joined Rank in May 2022 from Marks & Spencer PLC, where he was Head of Hospitality Operations and played a key role in leading several strategic partnership integrations as part of their food transformation programme.
Before that, Andy was a member of the operating board at Punch Taverns PLC, serving as Divisional Director for their managed division. He also held various roles in Property, Compliance, and Operations at Punch Taverns and McDonald’s Restaurants Ltd. Andy graduated from the University of Bangor with a degree in Marine Zoology and holds a master’s degree in Multi-Site Management.
Mark Harper
Grosvenor Venues Managing Director
Mark joined Rank in August 2023 from Pears Partnership Capital, where he was the Operating Partner responsible for managing the leisure and hospitality investment portfolio. He has extensive experience from the late-night and 24/7 hospitality sectors, having worked across hotels, pubs, and nightclubs before advancing to leadership roles in various holiday park businesses.
Prior to his time at Pears Partnership Capital, Mark spent 15 years with Bourne Leisure Group, where he held several senior roles, eventually becoming Managing Director of Haven Holiday Parks, where he led the successful transformation the UK’s largest holiday park business. On leaving Bourne Leisure, Mark joined Parkdean Resorts as Chief Operating Officer and later became CEO of Park Leisure, with the business experiencing significant growth under his leadership.
Enric Monton
Rank International Managing Director
Enric joined Rank in May 2022, bringing over 20 years of experience in the gambling and sports betting industry, spanning both digital and land-based sectors, with a particular emphasis on online markets and Latin America.
Prior to joining Rank, he served as Managing Director for Latin America at Sportium, the digital and sports betting division of the global gaming company Cirsa. During his tenure at Cirsa, Enric held several senior roles, including CFO and Business Development Director. He also has entrepreneurial experience in the digital gambling industry.
Emma Morning
Group Transformation Strategy Director
Emma joined Rank in October 2019 and was appointed Group Transformation Strategy Director in January 2022. Before this, she served as Transformation Lead within the transformation team. Emma previously worked at KPMG and has over 20 years of experience in strategy, turnaround, and organisational development roles. Her expertise spans both UK and international markets.