Philip Bowcock confirmed as William Hill CEO

Bookmaker and gambling operator William Hill announced the appointment of Philip Bowcock as chief executive officer on Friday, with immediate effect.

The FTSE 250 company had appointed Bowcock as its interim CEO in July 2016, having previously been chief financial officer of the company.

“Since his appointment as interim CEO last July, Philip has driven the business forward at real pace and we have seen important progress across our online, retail and international businesses over that time,” commented William Hill chairman Gareth Davis.

“Our recent results show that William Hill is now in a stronger position and Philip has outlined a clear plan to continue that momentum into the future.”

Philip Bowcock said he was “proud” to be chosen to lead the company, which he described as a business that “millions of customers trust”, and a brand synonymous with betting.

“During my time at the helm, I have had the opportunity to lead a passionate, talented and committed team and we have made considerable operational progress in recent months.

“The team and I are excited by the opportunity to keep improving our position in all our key markets whilst delivering a great experience for our customers.”

Bowcock joined William Hill from Cineworld Group where he was finance director for nearly four years.

Previously, he was finance director at Luminar, having had senior finance roles at Barratt Developments and Tesco.

He also spent seven years at Hilton Group as vice president of finance at a time when the company owned Ladbrokes.

The William Hill board confirmed Bowcock is a Chartered Management Accountant.