Coral has announced its newest member of the team with gambling industry veteran John O’Reilly joining the firm. Starting from Monday earlier this week, O’Reilly became the firm’s Managing Director of Interactive in his first position of note since departing Ladbrokes this time last year. He spent 18 years at the fellow veteran of the bookmaking business and his final role as part of the Lads was as Head of Online.
A statement said that O’Reilly is “itching” to get back into the gambling industry and we can’t confirm reports as to whether one of his kids just put itching powder in his clothing.
He admitted, “I couldn’t have a more exciting prospect than developing Coral’s online business,” he said, before adding that Coral has a “fantastic shop estate and a terrific brand”
The role will see O’Reilly reporting to new CEO Andy Hornby was equally as delighted to have the gambling industry man on his side, stating, “His egaming track record and considerable bookmaking experience will make him a huge asset for Coral as we develop the interactive business over the coming months and years.”
O’Reilly departed Ladbrokes in August last year just after Richard Glynn has been appointed as the company’s new CEO. His line then was that he was upping sticks to pursue “new challenges” as Glynn set about restructuring the entire senior management team. Glynn did, at the time, comment on the “massive contribution” that O’Reilly had made during his 18 years at the firm.
O’Reilly finished by saying, “This challenge is right up my street,”
