Harris assumes leadership of the London-listed gaming operator after six months as interim CEO
Rank Group has ended its search for a new chief executive officer with a decision to hand the role to interim CEO Richard Harris.
Harris has served as Rank’s interim CEO since the January departure of former chief executive John O’Reilly, and prior to that served as the company’s chief financial officer since May 2022.
The company said in a statement Monday that it has ended its search for a permanent chief executive after considering a number of internal and external candidates.
Rank Group chairman John Ott commented: “I am delighted to confirm Richard’s appointment as CEO of The Rank Group. Following a thorough recruitment process which identified a strong field of candidates, the Board unanimously agreed that Richard was the outstanding choice.
“I am pleased that he has agreed to lead Rank as it continues to progress the delivery of the medium-term objective of generating at least £100m operating profit and the development of the longer-term strategy.”
Rank’s statement did not address the CFO’s position, which has been held on an interim basis by Cliff Baty since February.
Harris said of his appointment: “Rank is an industry-leading business with a strong portfolio of brands which are synonymous with the UK gaming industry. I am proud of what Rank has achieved during my tenure as CFO, and I look forward to building on this momentum as we continue to drive growth and evolve the Group’s strategy.
“I’d like to thank all my colleagues for their commitment and support over the last four years and look forward to an exciting future as CEO of the Rank Group.”
Shares in Rank Group plc. (LSE:RNK) closed at 94.00 pence per share in London Friday, prior to this morning’s announcement.