Kenny Alexander (businessman)

Kenneth Jack Alexander was born in April 1969,[1] in Ayrshire, Scotland.[2][3] He grew up in North Ayrshire, and earned a bachelor's degree in accountancy from the University of Glasgow.[4]

In 1991, he joined the accountants Grant Thornton, where he worked for five years and qualified as a chartered accountant.[4] In 1996, he joined Hazlewood Foods as a financial controller.[4]

In 2000, he joined Sportingbet, having seen the job advertised in the Racing Post, and by 2007 had risen to become head of its European operations.[4][5]

Alexander became CEO of GVC in 2007, when it was listed on AIM and valued at £26 million.[4]

In February 2016, he concluded the £1.1 billion reverse takeover of GVC's larger competitor Bwin.Party Digital Entertainment.[4]

In April 2017, it was speculated that Alexander and GVC were looking to take over the bookmakers William Hill.[6]

In December 2017, it was announced that GVC would take over the bookmakers Ladbrokes Coral for up to £4 billion, with Alexander as CEO, and a likely FTSE 100 index entry.[7]

In July 2020, it was announced that Alexander would retire, to be succeeded as chief executive by Shay Segev, the chief operating officer.[8] The Guardian called a "surprise departure".[9]

He is married to Caroline Alexander,[10] and lives with his family in Perth, Scotland. Before his retirement in 2020, he was based in London during the week.[6]

His hobbies include no-limit cash poker, and when he worked at Sportingbet, considered becoming a professional gambler, about which his wife was "horrified".[6] He owns a string of racehorses,[11] including star mare Honeysuckle, and bets every day, either on horses or football.[4]

In May 2021, he was convicted of taking and driving away a vehicle without the owner's consent, drink driving and driving without insurance.[12]