by CIO UK Staff

Betfair wager tech future on new CTO Tony McAlister

News
Dec 17, 20081 min
IT LeadershipIT StrategyMedia and Entertainment Industry

Online gambling pioneers Betfairhave appointed a new chief technology officer to replace Rorie Devine. Tony McAlister, a former IT chief at mobile network Vodafone will join the company in January.

McAlister returns to the UK to take up the role having spent the last three years as CTO for content management vendor Motricity. From 2001 to 2005 McAlister was CTO at Vodafone. McAlister said of the appointment, “Betfair has demonstrated its ability to turn technology into a strategic business advantage. I look forward to building on this success.”

As Befair CTO McAlister will report to chief executive David Yu and be responsible for a team of 300 IT engineers around the world. Betfair said McAlister will be required to enhance the customer experience at the online betting company and to drive technology innovation and ensure its rapid profitable growth is “underpinned”. McAlister officially starts in the role on January 19, 2009.

Rorie Devine left Betfair in Mayhaving been with the Hammersmith based company for four years, two as CTO. Under his leadership the IT team, which is 25 per cent of the workforce, tripled.

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