Sportingbet hunts head of European marketing

Online gambling company Sportingbet is looking for its first European marketing director as it develops its products across the continent.

The role has been created to oversee the work of marketing teams across the company’s different brands throughout Europe. The company offers a range of gambling and poker sites including Sportsbook.com and ParadisePoker.com, and has a turnover of &£1.5bn.

Andy May, strategic marketing director for parent company Sportingbet, says that the new position is designed to ensure consistency across the different brands and markets.

“We are now operating in 26 markets and in 21 languages,” he explains. “And over the past six months, we have recruited a number of marketers in those areas.”

At present, the marketing managers in European countries report to Sportingbet’s head of marketing Matt Jellicoe. But the new marketing director’s post will be senior to the one held by Jellicoe, and he will move to a pan-European business development role.

The European marketing director will report to the company’s European managing director, Kenny Alexander, who in turn reports to chief executive Nigel Payne.

That brings the European model into line with the company’s operations in Australia and the US. Arrangements at Sportingbet’s flagship poker site, ParadisePoker.com, are unaffected by the restructure as the site has its own dedicated global marketing team.

May says the company wants to employ someone from outside the e-gaming industry.

Sportingbet also this week announced the appointment of David Hobday as chief operating officer. He joins the company from HBOS, where he is managing director, direct in the bank’s consumer division.