Rank Group appoints Richard Harris permanent CEO following interim tenure

Rank Group plc, UK leisure and gaming operator known for Mecca bingo halls, has officially appointed Richard Harris as its permanent chief executive officer. 

On Monday, Harris, who had served as interim CEO since 30 January 2026, stepped into the role with immediate effect. This followed an executive search conducted by the company overseen by Rank’s nominations committee, chaired by John Ott, and supported by independent advisers from MWM Consulting. 

The search evaluated both internal and external candidates, culminating in a unanimous decision in favour of Harris.

Harris joined the Rank Group board as chief financial officer (CFO) in May 2022. Prior to joining Rank, Harris accumulated experience in senior roles at well-known consumer-facing companies such as Marks & Spencer, Foxtons and Laird.

There has been no indication of a replacement search for the CFO role formerly held by Harris at this stage.

‘Outstanding choice’

John H Ott, chairman of The Rank Group, expressed his enthusiasm for the appointment, stating: “I am delighted to confirm Richard’s appointment as CEO of The Rank Group. Following a thorough recruitment process which identified a strong field of candidates, the board unanimously agreed that Richard was the outstanding choice.” 

He added, “I am pleased that he has agreed to lead Rank as it continues to progress the delivery of the medium-term objective of generating at least £100m operating profit and the development of the longer-term strategy.”

Rank first began their seeking a new CEO in January of this year, when its longtime leader, John O’Reilly, announced his retirement. O’Reilly took on the position of CEO in May 2018 after a spell as a non-executive director at William Hill. Prior to this, he was managing director of GVC’s Coral Interactive within the Gala Coral Group. 

“His extensive gambling industry knowledge and experience, as well as deep operational skills have combined to ensure that Rank is well positioned to build on the direction he established,” expressed Ott on O’Reilly’s retirement. 

New leader and strong end to FY25/26

Harris commented on his appointment: “Rank is an industry-leading business with a strong portfolio of brands which are synonymous with the UK gaming industry. I am proud of what Rank has achieved during my tenure as CFO, and I look forward to building on this momentum as we continue to drive growth and evolve the group’s strategy. 

“I’d like to thank all my colleagues for their commitment and support over the last four years and look forward to an exciting future as CEO of the Rank Group.”

Rank projected a strong end to their FY25/26 as like-for-like net gaming revenue grew to £205.4 million in the first three months of this year. Strong profit conversion left Rank confident it will surpass 2024-25’s operating profit (removing the impact of club openings, closures, foreign exchange movements and discontinued operations) of £63.7m in its current fiscal year ending 30 June 2026.