Alizeti adds racing industry stalwarts to Tote management team

Betting and racing industry veterans Ian Penrose and Jamie Hart are among the management team unveiled on Monday by the Alizeti Group, the venture which has invested in the Tote.

Alizeti bought a 25 per cent stake in the Tote from Betfred in June, with an option to purchase the operation in its entirety in the future.

They and Betfred have agreed a standstill arrangement with Britbet – the pool betting operation set up by 55 of Britain's racecourses – in an attempt to develop a single pool-betting operation for the "best interests" of British racing.

In the meantime Alizeti, which operates under the banner 'Together for the Tote', has made a number of appointments, including that of Penrose as strategic and operational adviser.

Penrose was most recently chief executive of pool betting and technology company Sportech, having previously held the same position at racecourse company Arena Leisure, one of the forerunners of Arena Racing Company.

He is joined at Alizeti by former Coral trading director and William Hill head of innovation Jamie Hart, who has been appointed head of product.

Other hires include Susannah Gill, formerly of Arc and Betfair, as director of communications and corporate affairs, and Emma Crowe – whose previous roles have included regional marketing director at Pokerstars and head of customer marketing at Sky for bingo and poker – as head of marketing.

Alizeti chief executive Alex Frost said: "We have ambitious plans to grow the Tote and to achieve this it is essential we build a world-class team of dedicated people who are focused on ensuring it has a successful future.

"I am really excited by the team we are putting together, which has individuals who bring vast experience and expertise from a range of sectors."

Among Alizeti's other appointments are leisure industry expert Simon Larkin as chief financial officer, and Paddy Burrowes, formerly of JP Morgan, as commercial director.

The standstill agreement is due to run until the end of October but while talks between the two sides are ongoing neither Alizeti or Britbet said they were able to comment on their status.

Alizeti's senior appointments

Commercial: Ian Penrose, strategic and operational adviser; Paddy Burrowes, commercial director brand

Marketing and communications: Andy Hobsbawm, chief brand and marketing officer; Susannah Gill, director of communications and corporate affairs; Emma Crowe, marketing director

Product and design: Jamie Hart, head of product; John Dutton, head of design

People and human resources: Tamsin Webster, chief people officer

Legal: Freddie Grive, general counsel

Finance: Simon Larkin, chief financial officer; Nick Thomas, financial director

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