Gillon McLachlan formally begins as Tabcorp MD and CEO

The company has confirmed that all necessary regulatory approvals have been received.

Australia.- Gillon McLachlan has become chief executive officer and managing director of Tabcorp following his appointment on June 17, 2024. The company has said that all necessary regulatory approvals have been received. As such, Bruce Akhurst has today (January 31) retired from the Tabcorp board and ceased to be an executive director.

McLachlan joined Tabcorp after a decade as CEO of the Australian Football League (AFL), where he played a role in securing the largest sports broadcasting rights deal in Australian history and oversaw the expansion of the AFL competition to 18 teams.

Speaking at the time of McLachlan’s original appointment to Tabcorp last June, Akhurst said: “Gill needs no introduction – he is recognised as one of Australia’s leading CEOs and securing Gill is a great vote of confidence for Tabcorp’s future. We’ve laid strong foundations and Gill brings a growth mindset and the capability to capitalise on the opportunities ahead of us.”

McLachlan said: “Tabcorp is a wagering, broadcast and integrity services business and the challenges of growing it are appealing. It’s about creating entertainment for our customers in a safe way and providing a unique customer omnichannel entertainment offering across digital, retail and the media business.”

Other recent changes to the executive leadership team include the creation of the new role of chief wagering officer. Michael Fitzsimons will oversee all core wagering functions including digital, retail, tote, trading, product and marketing. Tabcorp also named Jarrod Villani to the new role of chief commercial and media officer, while Narelle McKenzie was named chief legal officer and Robert Fraser was named chief technology and transformation officer. Jenni Barnett, chief customer officer, and Alan Sharvin, chief information officer, left the company.