888 names Vaughan Lewis as first chief strategy officer

London-listed betting and gaming operator 888 Holdings has appointed Vaughan Lewis to the newly created role of chief strategy officer (CSO).

Lewis will join the operator in early 2021 from Flutter Entertainment, where he has held the position of transformation lead for the international business following its acquisition of The Stars Group in May.

Prior to that he was senior vice president of communications at The Stars Group and director of corporate development at Sky Betting & Gaming. Previously, he was an equity research analyst at Morgan Stanley specializing in betting and gaming companies.  

Reporting into 888 CEO Itai Pazner, Lewis will support the development of the group’s long-term strategy and will be responsible for strategic business development, including M&A origination and execution. In addition, he will be responsible for investor relations, working closely with chief financial officer Yariv Dafna to develop the group’s investor relations strategy. 

“We are delighted to welcome Vaughan as 888’s first CSO,” said Pazner. “Vaughan is a highly experienced gaming industry professional with a wealth of relevant expertise across both strategic development and investor relations. I have no doubt that his skills and background will support 888 to identify and deliver further growth opportunities over the coming years.”

Commenting on his appointment, Lewis said: “888 is a company I have long admired, since my time as an equity analyst. 888’s unmatched scalable technology, coupled with its strong brand and marketing expertise have supported its growth to become an industry leader, and provide a powerful platform that underpins the group’s significant continued growth potential.

“I am delighted to join a great team and to help drive forward the compelling growth opportunities that lie ahead.”

Shares in 888 Holdings plc (LSE:888) were trading at 258.50 pence per share in London earlier Thursday.