High-profile departures continue at bookmaker William Hill with loss of Andrew Lee

William Hill has announced the head of its online operations is leaving the company, joining a slew of other high-profile departures and putting further pressure on Britain’s biggest bookmaker.

The loss of Andrew Lee follows the exit of finance director Neil Cooper, who left last year to join Barratt Developments, while Kristof Fahy, the chief marketing officer, joined rival Ladbrokes. Mr Lee joined the company in 2012 and was responsible for William Hill’s digital arm.

His departure comes at a time when the tougher regulatory environment and advances in mobile technology are changing the face of the gambling industry, with physical bookmakers’ shops closing as companies focus on boosting online sales.

“I am confident that I have the team that I want for William Hill,” said CEO James Henderson.

Mr Lee will be leaving the business at some point this year, the company said, as it appointed Crispin Nieboer as interim managing director of online operations.

During the quarter, the company launched its new mobile web and iOS app called Project Trafalgar, which faced some issues initially, with analysts citing that as one of the reasons for Mr Lee’s exit.

William Hill yesterday reported a 2015 operating profit of about £290m, in line with market expectations. Online revenue grew by 4% to £550.7m.