Tabcorp appoints Gillon McLachlan as managing director and CEO

McLachlan joins Tabcorp after a decade as CEO of the Australian Football League.

Australia.- Tabcorp Holdings Limited has today (June 17) announced the appointment of Gillon McLachlan as its new managing director and chief executive officer. McLachlan will start in the role on August 5 subject to regulatory approval, acting in an observational capacity until then.

He will replace Adam Rytenskild, who resigned in March amid allegations of inappropriate and offensive language.

McLachlan joins Tabcorp after a decade as CEO of the Australian Football League (AFL), where he saw sporting code revenue more than doubled from AU$502m in 2013 to AU$1,063m in 2023. 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 and the launch of the AFLW competition.

See also: Tabcorp fined US$246k for allowing a minor to gamble in Victoria

Tapcorp chairman Bruce 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,’’ he said.

“Gill has a deep understanding of sport, racing and wagering, combined with significant commercial acumen which was highlighted in the substantial growth of AFL revenues under his leadership. Importantly for us, Gill brings an added dimension of having been responsible for some of the most significant media rights deals in Australian sports history and we’re excited about the potential growth opportunities for our wagering and media business under his leadership.”

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,’’ he said.

“Tabcorp is a proudly Australian company that contributed AU$1.1bn to the racing industry last year and continues to be one of the racing industry’s biggest partners, as well as the wagering licensee in all states, except for WA. This is a really important component of my decision. There are enormous opportunities ahead and I’m looking forward to driving the sports category among other things. Tabcorp is part way through its transformation journey and I’m looking forward to working with the leadership team to accelerate and deliver on the growth opportunities.”

See also: Tabcorp revenue down 5% for H1