Rank Group names John H. Ott as new chair
Alex Thursby stepped down from the position at the Grosvenor Casinos owner last month.
UK.- Rank Group Plc, the gambling group that owns Grosvenor Casinos and the Mecca bingo brand, has announced that John H. Ott will be appointed as company chair. The appointment will take effect from November 17 2025.
Ott is currently a senior advisory partner at the global management consulting firm Bain & Company, UK, which he joined the company in 2006. He’s also a founder, investor and board member for two private businesses, a data and technology services business, and a global fractional ownership business.
Ott commenced his career in the financial services sector in the United States before joining McKinsey & Company in 1989. He moved to the UK in 2003 to join Barclays Bank as Group Strategy and M&A Director before joining Bain and Company, UK. He is also a frequent speaker at financial service industry meetings in Europe, North America and Asia.
He holds a Masters degree in International Affairs from the Johns Hopkins University in Italy and Washington, DC as well as a Bachelors degree in History from Carleton College in the US.
John will succeed Karen Whitworth, who has served as Rank’s interim chair since October 15 when Alex Thursby stepped down from the position after seven years. Karen will resume her role as both senior independent director and audit chair.
Commenting on John’s appointment, Whitworth said: “During a rigorous and wide-ranging selection process, John emerged as the stand-out candidate to become Rank’s chair. His wealth of experience in highly regulated industries, and advising and working with boards across the globe, will provide the Group with the expertise and leadership that it requires as we embark on the next phase of our strategic journey.”
Rank Group posted £210.2m in net gaming revenue (NGR) for the quarter ending September 30. That represents a 9 per cent year-on-year increase.
The uplift was largely driven by continued momentum in the group’s digital segment, which saw like-for-like revenue climb 13 per cent to £61.6m. Revenue from Grosvenor’s online platform rose by 31 per cent, while Mecca’s digital revenue grew by 9 per cent.
