William Hill has named its new chief executive officer: Philip Bowcock, who has served as interim CEO since July 2016, will take over the role on a permanent basis. Prior to taking on the interim job, Bowcock was chief financial officer for the bookmaker.

Bowcock said last week that during his time at the helm of William Hill, he had the opportunity to lead a passionate, talented and committed team, which has made considerable operational progress in recent months.

“The team and I are excited by the opportunity to keep improving our position in all our key markets whilst delivering a good experience for our customers,” he said.

Bowcock said that he was proud to become William Hill’s new CEO and praised the business for being one that “millions of customers trust and a brand that is synonymous with betting.”

Also commenting on Bowcock’s new appointment was the chairman of the group, Gareth Davis who said that since his appointment as interim chief executive officer, Bowcock had “driven the business forward at real pace and we have seen important progress across our online, retail and international businesses over this time.”

Davis noted that since Bowcock filled the position as interim CEO, William Hill’s results have reflected his positive influence. He said the group was now in a stronger position and “Philip has outlined a clear plan to continue that momentum into the future.”