SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
Grupo Codere has announced the appointment of Gonzaga Higuero as its new Group Chief Executive Officer (CEO).
The Spanish and LatAm gambling outfit has been leaderless since February, following the resignations of joint CEOs Alberto González del Solar and Alejandro Rodino.
Fresh to the gambling sector, Higuero joins Codere from the Health Transportation Group (HTG) – the company recognized as the “second largest health transport service provider in Europe”.
In a statement confirming the appointment, Codere described Higuero as an expert in corporate transformation projects, having led the refinancing and business turnaround of HTG, which was acquired by new investors in 2021.
Significantly, he joins the operator with prior experience in managing multinational enterprises, having served as an Executive Director of finance logistics provider Prosegur Cash and helping to expand its network across South American markets.
Christopher Bell, the Non-Executive Chairman of Grupo Codere, expressed his confidence in the new appointment, stating: “With the addition of Gonzaga Higuero to our team, we reinforce this new post-pandemic stage of return to the growth path of the group.”
H1 trading saw Codere once again refinance its business, as the company secured a €100m liquidity injection provided by its bondholders.
Upon completing the transaction, Codere governance vowed to maintain all business units operating in Europe (Spain and Italy) and South America (Argentina, Mexico, Uruguay, Colombia, and Panama) as part of its 2023-to-2027 recovery strategy.
The company also confirmed that it will not sell any divisions, as the group aims to become profitable by 2025.
On assuming leadership duties at Codere, Higuero commented: “It is a great challenge and responsibility to lead this organization, with the aim of improving our competitiveness and profitability to address a new phase of growth after the pandemic.
“We have new projects ahead of us to continue being a world benchmark and provide the best entertainment and gaming experience to our customers.”
