UK Tote Group has named Paddy Desmond as Group Chief Operating Officer and Eugene Delaney as B2B Chief Commercial Officer. The British pool betting operator announced the executive changes to support its ongoing expansion plans.
Executive Leadership Changes
Desmond takes over the Group COO role following Dave Hammond’s departure in April. He previously served as Chief Revenue Officer at UK Tote Group for the past six months after joining the company as a Strategy Consultant in 2024. His earlier career includes a 2022 strategy consulting position at the British Horseracing Authority and nearly two decades across Flutter Entertainment brands.
Desmond’s new responsibilities will encompass product development, customer experience, marketing, and revenue operations. He noted that the company holds a distinctive product and a loyal customer base, with his focus directed toward improving customer experience while growing the business sustainably.
Delaney joins the executive team from Make Agency, where he held the dual roles of Non-Executive Director and COO for nine years. His professional history spans sport, media, horse racing, and B2B betting data, with previous positions at Paddy Power and Spotlight Sports Group, the parent company of Racing Post. Delaney will oversee the operator’s commercial partnerships and B2B division, stating that the Tote’s potential across international pools and the UK market presents a clear opportunity to build on the progress made over the past eight years.
The executive updates follow the April appointment of former Rank Group CEO John O’Reilly as a non-executive director. The announcements coincide with preparations across the horseracing sector for the Gambling Commission’s upcoming Financial Risk Assessments, a regulatory measure expected to influence industry operations.
Information sourced from UK Tote Group's official announcement.