It took two years for Alex Gersh to realize he belonged in the gaming industry. He previously served as the Group Chief Financial Officer (CFO) for Paddy Power Betfair, where he showed considerable talent for helping the gaming operator expand. However, he took a break and changed industries, a move that didn’t last too long. Gersh is now back into gaming, having been tapped by sports gambling data giant Sportradar to be its new Group CFO. According to the company, he’s already slipped on his new shoes.
Sportradar announced the placement yesterday, adding that Gersh will operate from the company’s office in London. He will “report directly to CEO Carsten Koerl and will be responsible for the financial management, planning and performance of the group, including reviewing major investment decisions and new business opportunities.”
It was just over two years ago when Gersh left the gaming industry to try something new. At the time, the move probably seemed right; he had just finished helping Paddy Power and Betfair through their first year as a combined company, following the $6.2-billion merger a year earlier, and it would have been hard to top that off. He switched industries to assist Cazoo, a used vehicle eCommerce startup, but Sportradar was able to convince him to come back to gaming.
On being recruited by Sportradar, Gersh explains, “Sportradar is a business I have long admired and I’m thrilled to be joining at such an interesting time for the global sports and betting industries. Carsten and the management team have some very exciting plans over the coming years and I’m looking forward to helping the company achieve its goals.”
Sportradar has been busy creating new deals and expanding its footprint, and it is confident that Gersh’s knowledge and experience will help take the company to a new level. For virtually anything related to sports data and integrity, Sportradar is the first name that comes to mind. The company is busy with global expansion efforts, and is ready to capitalize on Gersh’s talents to continue the progress as more sports organizations begin to come back online.
Koerl added in the statement, “We are delighted Alex has joined us as our new Chief Financial Officer. His expertise is second-to-none with a proven track record in complex organisations. He possesses a profound understanding of the sports, betting, mobile and data sectors which will be vital as we enter the next stage of global growth for the business.”
Last October, Sportradar acquired Optima, a sports gambling and gaming platform. That purchase was meant to give the company a broader reach and more versatility with its offerings, and Gersh’s entry into the company is designed to help continue Sportradar’s initiatives while managing the company’s money and helping it find new investment opportunities at the same time.
