Evoke has announced that Lord Jonathan Mendelsohn is to step down from his roles of chair and non-executive director with immediate effect, with Mark Summerfield being appointed as his replacement.
Lord Mendelsohn joined Evoke’s board in September 2020 and was appointed non-executive chair in March 2021. He also had a spell as interim executive chair from January to October of 2023.
During his tenure, Mendelsohn oversaw significant change at Evoke. Major developments included the acquisition of William Hill’s non-US assets from Caesars. The deal, which completed in July 2022, was valued at £2.2 billion ($2.9 billion).
Mendelsohn was also at the helm when now-CEO Per Widerström joined the business in July 2023. Widerström was appointed to replace Itai Pazner, who was removed as CEO as the company grappled with failures across AML and KYC processes. Following Pazner’s exit Mendelsohn served as executive chair during interim period.
In his role as chair Mendelsohn oversaw Evoke’s major rebrand, as it adopted a new brand and structure. The company took on its new Evoke name in May last year.
Away from Evoke, Lord Mendelsohn is a working peer in the House of Lords, having been appointed in October 2013. He also previously worked as shadow minister for business, international trade, innovation and industrial strategy for the Labour party.
‘Privilege’ for Mendelsohn to chair Evoke
“It has been a privilege to serve as the chair of Evoke,” Lord Mendelsohn said in an Evoke statement released on Tuesday. “Having overseen the transformation of the business into one of the world’s leading betting and gaming companies, now is the right time to hand over to Mark to steward Evoke through its next important phase of growth and stability.
“I am incredibly proud of what we have achieved over the past five years. I’d like to thank my fellow board members, the executive team and the wider organisation for their utmost and unwavering commitment.”
CEO Widerström added: “I would like to thank Jon for his exceptional leadership of the board and for his support during my transition into the business. He has helped to guide the company through a period of significant growth and transformation. His insight and collaboration will be missed.”
Summerfield takes the helm at Evoke
Evoke, which counts 888 and William Hill among its brands, moved quick to replace Lord Mendelsohn. Summerfield will become permanent non-executive chair of the board with immediate effect.
Summerfield joined Evoke’s board in September 2019 as a non-executive director. He is now chair of both the audit and risk and gaming compliance committees, as well as a member of the ESG Committee.
“It has been one of the highlights of my professional career to have partnered with Jon over the past few years and I will miss his dedication and insight,” Summerfield said. “I look forward to working closely with my fellow board members and the executive team to ensure the successful delivery of our strategy and create significant shareholder value.”
In addition, Anne de Kerckhove has been appointed as permanent deputy chair of the board. De Kerckhove joined the board in November 2017 and will continue as a senior independent director. She also chairs the nominations committee and the ESG Committee.
Widerström added: “I am looking forward to working with Mark and Anne in their new roles. Mark has such strong and deep institutional knowledge of the company, the industry and our strategic priorities. He is ideally positioned to lead the board and company through the next period of growth and development.”
Evoke prepares for Q3 update
The change in chair comes ahead of Evoke publishing its Q3 trading update on 28 October.
During its most recent period, covering H1, Evoke reported largely positive results. Revenue was up 3% year-on-year to £887.8 million ($1.19 billion). This was in line with forecasts published in a trading update in July.
Growth within the international business offset declines across both the UK and Ireland online gambling and retail segments. Incidentally, it is the latter that has drawn the most attention at Evoke in recent weeks.
Earlier in October, it was reported that Evoke was considering closing up to 15% of its William Hill shops in the UK in response to an expected increase in gambling tax. Various reports said as many as 200 could close, leading to up to 1,500 job losses.
Evoke currently operates approximately 1,300 William Hill shops in the UK. The government is expected to set out new gambling tax plans during its autumn budget on 26 November.
Mark Summerfield will replace Lord Jonathan Mendelsohn as non-executive chair with immediate effect.