Sean Wilkins to Succeed Yariv Dafna as 888 CFO

Gambling giant 888 Holdings has announced the appointment of Sean Wilkins as its new group chief financial officer. Wilkins will step into the office on February 1, 2024, succeeding the incumbent CFO Yariv Dafna.

Dafna will step down earlier, departing from the company on October 2, 2023. The CFO role will be temporarily handed to Vaughan Lewis, 888’s chief strategy officer. Lewis will serve as interim CFO until Wilkins’ official appointment in February 2024.

Wilkins brings years of financial experience to the company. Currently serving the Romanian powerhouse Super Bet, Wilkins also boasts an understanding of the gaming sector that makes him perfect for the job.

In addition to that, the new appointee boasts experience in financial positions at high-profile non-gambling companies. His track record includes over five years in finance-related roles at O2 Asia. After that, he had a five-year tenure at Tesco, first serving as CFO, strategy and international director, Telecoms, before being named CFO for Malaysia.

Wilkins had a short stint as general manager of supermarkets finance at Coles before joining Domino’s Pizza Group, where he served as CFO for over a year.

In his new position at 888, Wilkins will respond to Per Widerström, who’s set to become 888’s new chief executive officer on October 16.

Wilkins Is Looking Forward to Working with 888

Wilkins commented on his new position, saying that his recent experience in the iGaming and online betting industry had seen him follow 888’s business closely. He noted that the group’s recent acquisition of William Hill poises it for long-term success as it now has all the brands, technology and people it needs to solidify its position as a powerhouse.

Wilkins said that he is looking forward to being a part of 888’s leadership and helping the company generate shareholder value.

Lord Mendelsohn, 888’s executive chairman, welcomed Wilkins to the company. The chair noted that the new appointee has been selected after a diligent search process, which is why 888 is confident in the choice.

Mendelsohn pointed out that the new hire understands the betting and gaming sector and has all the relevant financial experience needed to help 888 grow and evolve.

In mid-August, 888 released its H1 results, reporting strong growth in revenue and adjusted EBITDA. In addition to acquiring William Hill, the company recently divested its Latvian properties as it seeks to streamline its business.