Rank confirms CEO retirement and interim successor
The Rank Group has confirmed that Chief Executive John O’Reilly will retire at the end of January, triggering a formal process to appoint a permanent replacement.
In a regulatory announcement published on 6 January 2026, Rank said O’Reilly informed the board of his intention to retire as CEO effective 29 January 2026. The company added that he will continue to support the business until the end of the current 2025/26 financial year.
Rank operates major UK-facing gambling brands including Grosvenor and Mecca across venues and digital channels.
Timeline: what happens next
Rank’s board said it has appointed current Chief Financial Officer Richard Harris as interim CEO from 30 January 2026, describing the move as an “orderly transition of responsibilities”.
Alongside the interim appointment, the company said a formal search process to identify a permanent CEO “will now begin”.
For investors, Rank’s published financial calendar lists Interim Results on 29 January 2026, the same date O’Reilly’s retirement is due to take effect.
Board and CEO statements
Rank Chair John H. Ott said the board was thanking O’Reilly for his leadership since his appointment in 2018, adding that the business is “well positioned to build on the direction he established”.
Ott also said the board is confident Harris will provide “continuity” and “strategic leadership” as interim CEO while the permanent recruitment process runs.
O’Reilly, in the same announcement, said it had been “a privilege” to lead Rank and that he was pleased Harris would take the company into its next stage.
Who is Richard Harris?
Rank’s announcement said Harris joined the board in May 2022 when he was appointed CFO. It highlighted his experience in consumer-facing businesses and noted previous senior finance roles at Foxtons Group, Laird, and Marks and Spencer.
Remuneration disclosure
Rank said details of O’Reilly and Harris’s remuneration arrangements, consistent with the group’s remuneration policy, will be published on its website in due course in line with section 430(2B) requirements.
Why this matters for the UK market
Leadership changes at a FTSE 250-listed operator like Rank are closely watched because they can signal how strategy and capital priorities evolve across both venues and digital operations. With an interim CEO now in place and a formal search under way, the next milestones for stakeholders will be the outcome of the recruitment process and any strategic updates delivered alongside scheduled results and reporting.
