Tipico promotes Hefer to CEO as Baca steps up to chairman

Tipico Sportwetten has announced that Axel Hefer will succeed Joachim Baca as Chief Executive of the DACH markets gambling group.

The promotion follows Baca’s decision to end his eight-year tenure as Group CEO of Tipico, who will now serve as Chairman of the company.

Baca was praised for his transformative tenure, maintaining Tipico as Germany’s biggest sportsbook, steering the company through complex corporate and regulatory transitions.

Of distinction, Baca’s tenure saw Tipico become the outright leader in German sports betting, capturing a reported 50% market share and operating over 1,300 betting points across German states and Austria.

Daniel Pindur, MD of CVC Capital and former Tipico Chairman, commented: “Over the past eight years, Joachim has done a remarkable job in advancing the development of Tipico and establishing it as an international sports betting and technology company.”

“We are grateful for his outstanding contributions and are pleased that he will continue to play a key role as chairman of the Supervisory Board.”

Hefer takes leadership of Tipico having previously served as the betting group’s Chief Operations Officer (COO) since 2023.

A high-profile executive, Hefer serves as Chairman of FC Schalke 04 and as strategic advisor to Trivago, where he served as CEO and Managing Director from 2020 to 2023.

Commenting on Tipico’s ambitions, Hefer said: “In recent years, Tipico has evolved from a startup to the definitive market and technology leader in sports betting in Germany. I am eager to continue this success story with the Tipico team and the owners.

“Together we are committed to providing sports fans with the best and most secure betting experience, extending our market leadership, and achieving additional sustainable growth.”

Moving to chairman, Baca added: “Leading Tipico on its strong growth path, building structures and expanding the product portfolio has been a great privilege. We have thus set the stage for a prosperous future.

“I am proud of our collective accomplishments and look forward to remaining a part of the team and continuing to contribute to the ongoing success as chairman of the Supervisory Board. I would like to express my gratitude to all my colleagues and the owners of Tipico for their trust and the exceptional collaboration.”