In an announcement made over the weekend, Gavin Isaacs has been tapped as the new CEO of Entain. Interim CEO Stella David will transfer to chairing the board of directors. Current chairman Barry Gibson will step down.
Isaacs takes up his new post on September 2 and will be based at Entain headquarters in London. Most recently, he has been chairman of Global Games Ltd.
Jefferies Equity Research analyst James Wheatcroft responded favorably to the news, to which he predicted “investors will react positively.” In a Monday-morning investor note, he lauded Isaacs for “a wide-ranging and highly credible track record across the gaming sector in multiple geographies, alongside several business disposals.”
Added Wheatcroft, “We see the appointment of a new CEO as a positive catalyst, especially one with a demonstrable gaming track record.” David’s transition to the board, he continued, would supply “top-level continuity.”
Isaacs’s reaction to his new remit was a comment that he would engage in an “ongoing execution of its refocused strategy [that] will enable the business to return to a leadership position across all aspects.”
The new Entain role marks a return by Isaacs to day-to-day gaming operations. From 2011 through 2013, he was CEO of Shuffle Entertainment. After a one-year stint as executive vice president of McAndrew & Forbes Holdings, he took the top job at Scientific Games in 2014, moving up to vice chairman in 2016 through 2018. In 2019, Isaacs moved over to SB Tech as chairman. He held that position for a year before becoming a non-executive director of DraftKings. He advised Jackpocket (now part of DraftKings) from 2019 through this year.
