Newgioco Group has appointed of Richard Q. M. Cooper to serve as an independent director of the Board of Directors with effect on August 29, 2019.

“We are absolutely thrilled to have Richard join the continuously strengthening team at Newgioco at this stage in our global expansion strategy. Richard is a highly recognized industry expert and accomplished sports betting and gaming executive with broad complementary skills and foresight,” commented Chief Executive Officer, Michele (Mike) Ciavarella. “His extensive gaming experience with Trident, Sportech and specifically, his 9 years as Group Finance Director at sports betting and gaming company GVC Holdings in developing financial disciplines and reporting, M&A, investor communication, and seeing the group move up from an AIM listing to a FTSE250 constituent, should certainly be of significant value to Newgioco and our shareholders.”

Mr. Richard Q. M. Cooper has over 37 years of professional global finance expertise. He was the founder, CFO and director of Trident Gaming PLC, currently serves as Chairman of VR Education Holdings PLC and recently served as non-executive director and audit-committee chair for pool betting operator Sportech PLC.

Previously, Mr. Cooper was Group Finance Director at sports betting and gaming company GVC Holdings PLC where he was responsible for driving the company growth strategy for nine years. Significantly, Mr. Cooper joined GVC Holdings PLC and held the key position of finance director from a £30 million market capitalization through £2.5 billion in 2017, returning approximately £250 million back to shareholders in dividends, and with this guided GVC through an up-listing from AIM to the London Stock Exchange followed by admission to the FTSE250.

During his experience with GVC, he also held a key role in GVC’s acquisition of Sportingbet PLC in 2013, followed by the €1.5 billion acquisition of bwin.party digital entertainment in 2016. In his early career Mr. Cooper gained significant experience in various aspects of accountancy and finance in a variety of industries particularly in gaming including a period experience as a stockbroker and CFO of Fidelity Group Brokerage Division.

Mr. Cooper graduated King’s College School, Wimbledon, 1979 and earned a BA (Hons) Financial & Accountancy 2.2 from Kingston University, U.K. in 1982 and holds an ACA qualification from the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW).

I have known Michele, Alessandro and other members of the management team for a couple of years now so I am delighted to be able to join the board and help guide them as they work to expand their business and to counsel them on opportunities in my capacity as a non-executive director, which sits alongside my other complimentary executive duties outside the gaming world,” stated Mr. Cooper. “Newgioco has an enviable advantage with having integrated control over its promising technology stack, coupled with a passionate management team with solid know-how in its highly contested core market in Italy.