eCOGRA has announced that Mark Brooker has been appointed as the new chairman of the board of eCOGRA Holding Limited. Brooker succeeds Matthew Peacock, founder and chairman of Hanover Investors, who served as chairman of the eCOGRA Board since December 2021, when eCOGRA was acquired by Hanover Investors.
Shaun McCallaghan, chief executive officer, said “I would like to thank Matthew for his leadership of the eCOGRA Board over the last year, and for the impact he has made on our business. Matthew has provided invaluable strategic insight and I wish him every success in the future.”
Commenting on Brooker’s appointment, McCallaghan continued, “Mark’s experience leading and developing organizations across numerous international markets, as well as his extensive background within the gambling sector make him uniquely positioned to provide guidance on the future development of our organization. I look forward to working closely with him as we continue our expansion into new jurisdictions.”
Brooker brings substantial executive advisory experience to eCOGRA, having spent the past ten years in leadership roles at digital-led businesses. He currently serves on boards in both PLC and PE backed companies including Findmypast, Future, Heathrow Airport and Paysafe. Within the gambling sector he previously served as the chief operating officer of Betfair Group (now part of Flutter Entertainment) until 2016 and then as Senior Independent Director of William Hill PLC until the company was acquired by Caesars Entertainment in 2021.
Speaking on his new appointment, Brooker said, “I am delighted to be offered the opportunity to Chair such an internationally renowned business with an impressive lineage in player protection, responsible gaming and regulatory certification activities. I look forward to work closely with eCOGRA to enhance its commercial capacities as it continues to expand into new markets across the globe.”
The announcement of Brooker’s appointment comes just weeks after eCOGRA were authorized to offer certification services as an independent testing laboratory (ITL) in Pennsylvania and Michigan on the satisfactory completion of rigorous checks by the relevant Gaming Control Boards. eCOGRA is the first laboratory headquartered outside of the U.S. to be authorized to operate in these states, a welcome addition to their U.S. jurisdictions which also include Colorado and New Jersey.
