Every Thursday, SBC Americas rounds up some of the notable leadership changes across U.S. land-based gaming, online gambling, and prediction markets.
This week, we cover prominent hires and departures at Flutter, Allwyn, White Hat Gaming, Aristocrat, and Yggdrasil.
Dan Taylor takes the helm at Flutter
Dan Taylor officially became Group CEO of Flutter Entertainment on Oct. 1. Taylor succeeds Peter Jackson, who led the FanDuel parent for nearly nine years. Jackson stepped down as CEO and left the board on Sept. 30, and he will remain an advisor through the end of 2026.
Flutter announced the change on Aug. 5 alongside its second-quarter results. Flutter’s shares closed at $92.91 that day, down 11.5% from $104.96 the session before. The decline did not stop there. Shares closed at $74.54 on Jackson’s last day and finished at $75.85 on Oct. 7, about 28% below where they stood before the announcement.
Taylor has spent more than a decade in senior roles at Flutter. He was CEO of Paddy Power Betfair from 2018 to 2020 and then led Flutter International, which generated more than $9bn in revenue in 2025. In May, he also became Flutter’s president, overseeing FanDuel.
That reshuffle removed Amy Howe as FanDuel CEO and put Christian Genetski in the role.
Taylor’s main job now is to win back U.S. market share.
“Our priority will be to keep delivering for our colleagues, customers and shareholders, while building on the momentum we’ve created across the business,” Taylor said when his appointment was announced.
Flutter also changed its legal leadership. Edward Traynor became interim Group Chief Legal Officer on Oct. 1, replacing Don Liu, who resigned effective Sept. 30. Traynor has been Flutter’s Group Company Secretary since April 2015 and will continue in that role. Before joining Flutter, he worked in telecommunications, including seven and a half years at Vodafone.
Allwyn names Fredrik Ögren Group CTO
Allwyn appointed Fredrik Ögren as Group Chief Technology Officer. Ögren joins after five years as CTO of Betsson Group, where he led technology strategy and oversaw large-scale platforms across multiple regulated markets.
Ögren reports to Kresimir Spajic, CEO of Allwyn Digital. Brett Cross, who had served as interim Group CTO, moves into a newly created role as CTO of Global Lottery and Deputy Group CTO, reporting to Ögren.
“Technology plays a critical role in creating great player experiences, enabling innovation and supporting long-term business success,” Ögren said.
The hire is the latest in a series of senior appointments as Allwyn moves toward digital products and North America. The company formed Allwyn Digital in September 2025, with Spajic, a former Betfred US CEO, leading it. Weeks later, it agreed to buy a 62.3% stake in PrizePicks and completed the deal in January.
Since June, Allwyn has made three more senior appointments:
- Former Virginia Lottery Executive Director Khalid Reede Jones became CEO of Allwyn North America
- Former William Hill executive Phil Walker became interim CEO of Allwyn UK
- Francesco Rodano became Group Head of Responsible Gaming in September
White Hat Gaming hires Leon Thomas as CCO
White Hat Gaming appointed Leon Thomas as Chief Commercial Officer, overseeing sales, marketing, and partnerships as the platform supplier expands across regulated markets.
“Leon has sat on both sides of the table. He has run operator businesses and scaled B2B suppliers, so he knows exactly what operators need from a platform partner,” White Hat CEO Phil Gelvan said.
Thomas has more than 20 years of industry experience, most recently as Vice President International at Hard Rock Digital, leading the company’s expansion into Canada, the Netherlands and Mexico.
At Entain, he was Group Director of Strategy and Corporate Development and then Managing Director for its Canadian-facing brands, including Sports Interaction. He has also helped grow B2B businesses at Microgaming and IWG, and he held a senior role at tombola.
The appointment comes as consolidation among platform suppliers prompts many operators to review their technology. White Hat is targeting operators leaving providers that are merging or retiring products, as well as brands that want to launch or grow in regulated markets.
Yggdrasil brings in David Hopkins
Yggdrasil Gaming appointed David Hopkins as Chief Transformation Officer. Hopkins previously worked at Flutter and Entain, where he led transformation work at large, fast-growing businesses.
“David is a hugely important hire for Yggdrasil,” CEO James Curwen said. “He brings exactly the combination of strategic thinking, operational discipline, and industry experience we need at this stage of our journey.”
At Yggdrasil, Hopkins will work across product, technology, commercial, marketing, finance and legal to simplify how the studio operates. His mandate centers on three strategic pillars:
- Game in a Box
- Studio in a Box
- YGG Masters
The company said its focus is shifting from building new technology to scaling it and monetizing it.
