Ladbrokes owner Entain names Jette Nygaard-Andersen as CEO By Reuters

(Reuters) – Ladbrokes (LON:LCL) owner Entain named non-executive director Jette Nygaard-Andersen as its chief executive officer on Thursday, making her the first woman to lead a company in the UK gambling industry.

Outgoing CEO Shay Segev announced his intention to quit days after rejecting MGM Resorts’ $11 billion takeover approach and just after seven months in the role to take up a job at global sports streaming platform DAZN.

Nygaard-Andersen will take over the top job with immediate effect and that Segev will be available to the company until July 8 to ensure a smooth handover.

Chief Financial Officer Rob Wood will immediately assume additional responsibility as the deputy CEO, taking charge of all retail operations and deal making activities, the betting firm said.

The betting firm also said it expects annual U.S. net revenue to be between $175 million and $180 million, ahead of its third-quarter guidance, with group core earnings likely to be up to 845 million pounds as forecasted earlier.

Nygaard-Andersen joined Entain in 2019 after a long stint at Swedish e-sports and gaming group MTG where she held several senior executive and non-executive roles.

($1 = 0.7301 pounds)