Mark Summerfield appointed chair of Evoke as Lord Jonathan Mendelsohn steps down from board

Evoke Plc announced that Lord Jonathan Mendelsohn has stepped down as Non-Executive Chair and Director with immediate effect, marking the end of his five-year tenure with the betting and gaming group. Mark Summerfield, a long-serving board member, has been appointed as his successor.

Lord Mendelsohn joined the company’s board in September 2020 and became Non-Executive Chair in March 2021, later serving as Interim Executive Chair between January and October 2023. His time at the company saw significant transformation across the business, including Evoke’s £2.2 billion ($2.9 billion) acquisition of William Hill’s non-U.S. assets from Caesars Entertainment in July 2022.

He also oversaw leadership changes, including the appointment of current CEO Per Widerström in July 2023 following the departure of Itai Pazner amid compliance failures in anti-money laundering (AML) and know-your-customer (KYC) processes. Mendelsohn stepped in as Interim Executive Chair during that transition.

Under his leadership, the company rebranded from 888 Holdings to Evoke in May last year, consolidating its operations under a unified identity. Outside his corporate role, Mendelsohn continues to serve as a member of the UK House of Lords, where he was appointed in 2013, and previously held responsibilities as shadow minister for business, international trade, innovation, and industrial strategy for the Labour Party.

“It has been a privilege to serve as the chair of Evoke,” Lord Mendelsohn said in a company statement. “Having overseen the transformation of the business into one of the world’s leading betting and gaming companies, now is the right time to hand over to Mark to steward Evoke through its next important phase of growth and stability."

CEO Per Widerström expressed his gratitude, stating: “I would like to thank Jon for his exceptional leadership of the board and for his support during my transition into the business. He has helped to guide the company through a period of significant growth and transformation. His insight and collaboration will be missed.”

Summerfield, who joined the Evoke board in 2019, has chaired the Audit & Risk and Gaming Compliance Committees and serves on the ESG Committee. He will now assume the role of Permanent Non-Executive Chair.

“It has been one of the highlights of my professional career to have partnered with Jon over the past few years, and I will miss his dedication and insight,” Summerfield said. “I look forward to working closely with my fellow board members and the executive team to ensure the successful delivery of our strategy and create significant shareholder value.”

In addition, Anne de Kerckhove has been appointed Permanent Deputy Chair while continuing as Senior Independent Director. She will retain her leadership of the Nominations and ESG Committees and remain a member of the Remuneration Committee.

Widerström welcomed the appointments: “I am looking forward to working with Mark and Anne in their new roles. Mark has such strong and deep institutional knowledge of the company, the industry, and our strategic priorities. He is ideally positioned to lead the board and company through the next period of growth and development.”

The leadership reshuffle comes as Evoke prepares to release its third-quarter trading update on October 28. In the first half of the year, the group reported a 3% year-on-year revenue increase to £887.8 million ($1.19 billion), driven by growth in international markets that offset declines in the UK and Ireland.

Evoke, which operates brands including 888 and William Hill, has also faced scrutiny over reports that it may close up to 15% of its 1,300 William Hill retail shops in the UK, potentially affecting around 1,500 jobs, amid expectations of higher gambling taxes to be outlined in the government’s autumn budget on November 26.