Nick Harding (59), CEO of the Praesepe arcade chain, has been appointed new Senior Advisor for the British business activities of the Gauselmann Group. In this new position, he will assume responsibility for political and association work and public relations for all operating subsidiaries of the Gauselmann Group in the UK.
As part of this realignment and optimisation of communication and marketing activities, Nick Harding will be moving into a new office in London. From here, he will report directly to company founder Paul Gauselmann and member of the Management Board Manfred Stoffers (Marketing, Communications and Political Affairs) and coordinate closely with the respective members of the Management Board of the family-owned Gauselmann Group. At the political and federation level, he will advise and represent the Blueprint Gaming, Regal Gaming and Leisure and Betcom Ltd and Praesepe subsidiaries. Before taking up his new position, Nick Harding will gradually relinquish his previous operational duties and in the interim will carry on as CEO of Praesepe.
“We are delighted that with Nick Harding we have been able to enlist a long-time colleague who is a recognised expert in terms of the company, the industry and the relevant legislation for the realignment of our political and public communication activities in the UK,” says Paul Gauselmann, company founder and Chairman of the Management Board of the family-run Gauselmann Group. “We are confident that the experience he brings to the job will enable him to inject fresh momentum and generate beneficial synergies for all operating subsidiaries in Britain. We wish him all the best in his new role.”
Nick Harding has over 35 years’ experience in the gambling sector. In September 2007 he established Praesepe plc as an AIM listed company mandated to acquire going concern businesses in the European low stake high volume “gaming sector” and grew the business from a cash shell to operating more than 180 gaming venues (including the UKs largest Bingo club and an online Bingo business) in the UK. In 2012 the Praesepe business was sold to the German Gauselmann Group. Furthermore, the new Senior Advisor UK knows the market and has impressive networking abilities at a political and federation level. He is a past President of the trade association BACTA and sits on the advisory panel of the charity Gambleaware. He was a Director of Business in Sport and Leisure, and is a Director of the UK Bingo Association. He was also the founding Chairman of iGGBA, the UK’s first interactive gaming association. He has been Chairman of the Gambling Business Group since its inception in 2013.
“The move from an operational business to my new role is a challenge I am very much looking forward to. In the light of the anticipated changes in Gaming Machine regulation in the UK, engagement at a political and federation level will be more important than ever in our industry. It’s time to set the course for a successful and sustainable future and I am delighted to be part of this process,” Nick Harding says.
