PointsBet names Scott Vanderwel as first CEO of PointsBet Canada

Sydney-listed online gaming operator PointsBet has appointed Scott Vanderwel as CEO of its newly established Canadian operations.

Vanderwel will join the company on 17 August, having previously served as senior vice president for Rogers Communications, where he oversaw corporate strategy, operational improvement, and digital operations. Prior to his time with Rogers, Vanderwel led the Canadian practice for business strategy consultancy Monitor Group, which was later acquired by Deloitte.

“We're thrilled that Scott has agreed to serve as the first CEO of PointsBet Canada and help us build a team and a business strategy that can serve the new Canadian market with the same sort of creativity and customer-focus that our clients in the US and around the world have come to expect from PointsBet,” said PointsBet Global CEO Sam Swanell.

“PointsBet is committed to creating products that fit the consumer's needs, satisfy the important and necessary requirements of regulators, and enable fans to engage with their favourite sports in new and exciting ways. Scott and the team we are building in Canada with help us do just that.”

Vanderwel's appointment follows earlier senior hires for PointsBet Canada, including Nic Sulsky as chief commercial officer and Chantal Cipriano as vice president of legal, compliance and people.

“I want to thank Sam and the entire PointsBet team for this incredible opportunity,” said Vanderwel following his appointment. “I'm excited to take my decades of corporate experience and apply it to building an elite organization ready to serve customers and help responsibly jump-start a brand-new industry in Canada.

“The sports-betting industry has demonstrated how it can entertain consumers, engage sports fans and deliver quality products, and PointsBet has been at the forefront of doing it the right way in markets around the world. We're going to build a modern, responsible, distinctly Canadian operation and I can't wait to get started.”

PointsBet USA CEO Johnny Aitken added: “Having built a core team into an operation with more than 200 employees at our headquarters in Denver, serving thousands of clients in states all over the US, I'm looking forward to sharing with Scott what we've learned here, but more importantly, utilizing his unique experience to make our entire company better.

“These are obviously two distinct North American markets, and Scott's appointment will enable PointsBet to serve both of them even better.”

Shares in Pointsbet Holdings Ltd (ASX:PBH) closed 2.81 per cent higher at AUD$12.43 per share in Sydney earlier Friday.