888 has announced the appointment of experienced executive Ben Hurst as vice president of North American market expansion.
In the new role, Hurst will create and implement strategies to accelerate 888’s presence in the region, primarily in the US and Canada.
He will be responsible for leading business development, collecting competitive intelligence and providing operational strategy and direction, including working with strategic partner Authentic Brands Group to further develop the Sports Illustrated brand presence.
Hurst takes on the role having acted as a senior consultant to 888 since August last year. He is also an advisor and mentor to start-ups via TechStars, as well as a senior consultant with Next League, Likewise and Interactive Platforms.
Earlier in his career, Hurst was senior vice president and head of digital for Madison Square Gardens (MSG) Sports & Entertainment, where he oversaw all digital initiatives for MSG’s portfolio of brands.
Hurst also spent nine years with Viacom, serving in a number of senior roles, while he had spells with Joost, MTV Networks and Goldman, Sachs & Co.
“I am delighted that Ben will be joining our US team as VP,” 888 US president Howard Mittman said. “Having worked with him over the last year or so as a consultant, I have full confidence that his knowledge of the industry, and of our company, makes him the perfect leader to help continue to grow our US business for the future.
“Ben has an exceptional track record at some world-class media brands and will bring a huge amount of knowledge of the US digital, sports and entertainment landscape. We very much look forward to working with him.”