Australian online wagering operator, BlueBet, has announced the appointment of Tony Thomas as Australian chief marketing officer.
Thomas brings more than 20 years’ experience as a marketing and digital executive in industries including media, tech, entertainment, food and beverage, and retail.
For the past three years Thomas has been consulting to Australian businesses developing and implementing brand and acquisition strategies, delivering strong growth across multiple tech sectors.
Prior to this he spent nine years as the chief marketing and digital officer at Nova Entertainment where he was responsible for digital marketing and brand strategy. During his time at Nova, Thomas led the marketing and digital teams through significant growth to become the number one radio network in Australia and was instrumental in supporting the business in tripling its earnings.
Before joining Nova Entertainment, Thomas held several senior marketing roles, including marketing director at Pepsico International and head of media and advertising at Coles where he oversaw many iconic campaigns, including the “Down Down” campaign.
Thomas earned a bachelor of business from the University of South Australia.
Commenting on the appointment BlueBet CEO Bill Richmond said: “Tony is a world-class marketer that thinks differently, and we’re delighted to be bringing his expertise, drive and track record of supporting growth to BlueBet.
“Tony has developed and executed some of the most recognisable campaigns in this market over the past 20 years and importantly built teams and cultures that align with BlueBet’s values and disruptor mentality. Tony is bringing a strong strategic mind to the Company and has some exciting ideas about how we can take our brand and proposition to the next level.
“Tony understands that BlueBet is a challenger brand with a unique proposition and appeal to Australian punters and we think his expertise and vision will make a real impact to our business.
“As BlueBet continue to grow, we are very confident Tony will add to the strength of our great team.”
Commenting on his appointment Tony Thomas said: “It’s such an exciting time for BlueBet, as it experiences strong growth in the market, and I’m looking forward to helping it accelerate its growth agenda, disrupt the market, and continue to take market share.
“There is a real challenger brand mentality at BlueBet, filled with smart and passionate people, and this is exactly the sort of business I love being part of. As a challenger brand, we need to work faster and smarter and create big, impactful ideas that cut through in a competitive market.
“Australians have lots of choice when it comes to punting so creating an Australian brand that Aussie punters love is important. The BlueBet team has done an outstanding job and have a ton of industry knowledge and I’m excited to be joining such a high performing and passionate team.”
