Ladbrokes and Coral owner Entain appoints Stella David as permanent chief executive

Ladbrokes and Coral owner Entain has appointed Stella David as its chief executive with immediate effect.

The news came as Entain reported what it described as a better than expected performance in a trading update for the first quarter of 2025 on Tuesday, sending the company's shares higher in early trading.

David had been interim chief executive since February when she took over from Gavin Isaacs, who left the position after little more than five months in the role.

She had previously been interim chief executive from December 2023 until Isaacs took up the position last September. David had been a member of Entain's board since March 2021.

David said: "Entain has a clear strategy and we are making great strides in strengthening our operational capabilities. Having taken the time to reflect, I'm hugely excited to be leading the business going forward as Entain’s CEO as we accelerate our journey of improvement. 

"Entain is a great business with significant potential and I am confident in its ability to deliver further success in the future."

Interim chair Pierre Bouchut described David as "an accomplished and commercial business leader with a long track record of success across multiple industries".

He added: "Stella has played a pivotal role in shaping, implementing and executing the ongoing delivery of Entain’s strategy to drive value for our shareholders. She is highly regarded by our stakeholders, and her appointment provides consistency and stability as the business pursues its many growth opportunities.”

The company reported that net gaming revenue (NGR), including its half share in US joint venture BetMGM, was up nine per cent in the first quarter thanks to strong online performance.

Outside of the US, online NGR was ahead of expectations, rising by six per cent primarily due to strong volumes in the UK, as well as operator friendly sports results.

David added: "We've made a strong start to 2025. Our improving operational execution saw us exit 2024 with clear momentum which has continued in the first quarter. Entain has a clear and compelling strategy with today’s results further evidence of its delivery. We are in the early stages of our journey of improvement and are driving ahead at pace.

"Entain’s portfolio of podium positions in attractive and regulated growth markets underpins the structural growth embedded in our business. We're confident that our current momentum and underlying growth will deliver quality and sustainable earnings with a clear pathway to generating over £0.5 billion of annual cashflow in the medium term."

David Brohan, gaming and leisure analyst for stockbrokers Goodbody, described the news from Entain as a "positive update", adding that the appointment of David would be well received.

Entain's share price was up nearly three per cent at 646.4p on Tuesday morning.

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