Rank Group has named former Manchester United exec Cliff Baty as interim CFO as part of a C-suite reorganisation following the departure of long-serving CEO John O’Reilly.
Baty will join the omnichannel operator from 23 February and take a seat on the group’s executive committee.
His appointment comes after Richard Harris, who had been serving as Rank’s CFO, stepped up to become interim CEO on 30 January.
Harris moved up to plug the gap left by O’Reilly who retired last month after almost eight years in the top job.
Baty most recently served as CFO at Premier League side Manchester United between March 2016 and May 2024.
During his time with the club, Baty played a key role in the sale of a minority stake to British billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe in February 2024.
He joined the club after its IPO in New York and helped oversee significant revenue growth during his time with the 13-time Premier League champions.
Prior to moving to Old Trafford, Baty served as CFO at Sportech for three years and had an eight-year stint at Ladbrokes as a financial director.
Baty started his career with Ernst & Young.
A Rank Group statement read: “Cliff is a highly experienced CFO with deep expertise in strategic and financial planning, investor relations, financial controls, international business operations and stakeholder management, built across listed leisure and gaming businesses.”
Last month, EGR spoke with O’Reilly as he prepared to depart Rank to reflect on his time with the Mecca and Grosvenor parent company and his time in the industry.
Arnold Ash is EGR’s Executive Recruitment Partner. They support ambitious organisations to identify and attract industry leading executive talent. Find out more here.
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The post Rank Group selects former Manchester United exec as interim CFO first appeared on EGR Intel.
Cliff Baty to join London-listed operator from 23 February on an interim basis after Richard Harris stepped up to become interim CEO
The post Rank Group selects former Manchester United exec as interim CFO first appeared on EGR Intel.