An outside chance: why Ian Brown has big shoes to fill at Flutter UK & Ireland
Replacing a respected industry veteran like Conor Grant with someone lacking prior industry experience does seem a gamble
The announcement yesterday that Conor Grant is to step down from his role as CEO of Flutter UK & Ireland (UK&I) to take a “planned career break” came as a bit of a surprise to industry observers. Probably to Flutter staff too. After all, it’s almost a quarter of a century since Grant, originally from Newry in Northern Ireland, joined Paddy Power as part of the Irish bookmaker’s graduate scheme. Spells at Blue Square and BoyleSports followed before he joined Sky Bet and climbed the ladder there in a variety of sports betting and igaming roles. Yet two years after landing the top job at Flutter’s UK&I arm – overseeing Sky Betting & Gaming (SBG), Paddy Power, Betfair and Tombola – the softly spoken and affable 45-year-old has decided to walk away. The PR published by the FTSE 100 operator to announce his resignation and eventual departure before the end of 2022, referenced how he is stepping down to “spend more time with his family”. We can only surmise but perhaps the father-of-three decided that 20-odd years entrenched in the online gambling industry – plus the time to reflect the pandemic provided – persuaded him to put time with his family above the (well paid) job. To specifically mention spending more time with the family as a reason for leaving a top position is somewhat unusual in this industry, but at the same time quite refreshing.

Conor Grant

Ian Brown