Stella David may soon have her interim CEO title dropped—if Entain’s investors get their way.
Good to know
- Entain posted 7% growth in both net gaming revenue and gross profit in FY24, excluding US figures.
- Investors believe Stella David could bring long-term stability to Entain’s leadership.
- The search for a new Chair is already underway as Entain evaluates its top executive roles.
After stepping back into the CEO role in February where she replaced Gavin Isacs, David has received strong backing from several key shareholders who believe she is well-suited to continue leading the company. The support follows a turbulent few years at Entain, where top-level turnover has become all too common. If appointed, David would become the fourth CEO in five years.
She joined the Board in 2021 and became Chair in 2024, after already having taken on the interim CEO role following the departure of another CEO in 2024, Jette Nygaard. Her transition to interim CEO came suddenly after Gavin Isaacs departed after just five months on the job. Since then, she has led the business through its latest financial reporting period, which showed steady growth. Net gaming revenue excluding the US grew 7 percent to £5.16 billion ($6.66 billion), while gross profit also rose 7 percent to £3.12 billion.
That performance, along with her familiarity with the company, has led many to advocate for her permanent appointment. “She knows the business, she comes across very well in meetings,” one shareholder told the Financial Times. “Given the alternative — a new chair and a new CEO — I’d much prefer to see Stella stay on in the CEO role and [for Entain to] appoint a new chair.”
The company has already started looking for someone to fill the Chairman role, which David left to focus on her CEO responsibilities.
Some investors say keeping David in charge would bring “continuity” after a stretch of boardroom changes and uncertainty. Others, however, wonder if she would even want the job on a permanent basis. David has not held a full-time executive role since leaving William Grant & Sons in 2016, where she was CEO.
The post Entain Investors Prefer for Stella David to Stay as CEO appeared first on iGaming.org.