Flutter Entertainment announced Wednesday that the CEO of its UK & Ireland (UK&I) business, Conor Grant, has resigned and will leave his role before year-end. Ian Brown, former CEO of Booking.com’s Trips division and an Oliver Wyman Senior Partner, will succeed Grant.
Brown will join Flutter in September, assuming responsibility for the Paddy Power, Sky Betting and Gaming, Betfair, and Tombola brands in the UK & Ireland. Grant and Brown will work together “to ensure a smooth transition of responsibilities,” Flutter informed.
Grant has more than 20 years in the online gambling sector. He joined Sky Betting & Gaming 12 years ago, where he oversaw a “hugely successful” period for the company, including its transformational sale to The Stars Group (TSG).
Following Flutter’s merger with TSG two years ago, he has led the consolidation of Flutter’s UK&I business, including managing the business through the pandemic, leading the business’ response to the UK Government’s review of gambling legislation and successfully completing the acquisition of UK bingo operator Tombola.
Peter Jackson, Chief Executive Officer of Flutter Entertainment, said: “I would like to thank Conor for his significant contribution to Flutter. His work on the strategic vision and direction of our UK&I business has set us in great stead for the future, and his passion and determination to put our customer’s safety at the heart of what we do has anchored our industry-leading Play Well strategy.”
Peter Jackson
“I am delighted to welcome a leader of Ian’s caliber to our executive team. He brings with him broad experience leading online businesses from a range of sectors, including travel, hospitality, business services, and financial services,” added Jackson.
According to Flutter’s CEO, Brown has been responsible for “successful transformations” in multiple large businesses, including Booking.com and Rentalcars.com, “building scalable tech platforms and organizations with a deep customer focus on ease, accessibility, and safety to drive growth.”
Conor Grant
Conor Grant said: “I have been immensely proud to lead the UK&I business through such a momentous period for both Flutter and the wider industry. Flutter’s market-leading brands, talented team, and approach to safer gambling are what sets the business apart. I have no doubt that the business is in good hands and I look forward to seeing it continue to grow sustainably and responsibly into the future.”
Ian Brown added: “I have followed the impressive story of Flutter and its brands for many years now, and I am delighted to be joining the UK&I business in September. Flutter has a fantastic portfolio of iconic brands and I look forward to helping develop their leadership position in the online entertainment space.”
The move comes one day after Flutter’s brand FanDuel Group announced two new leadership appointments. Effective immediately on Tuesday, Chief Legal Officer Christian Genetski has been promoted to the role of President, and Chief Marketing Officer Mike Raffensperger has been named to the newly created position of Chief Commercial Officer.
