Manchester-based UX, design and software development specialists Degree 53 have appointed former Head of Technology at William Hill, Andy Furnival, as Technical Director.
According to Degree 43, in his new role Furnival will be responsible for the technology strategy of the business and oversight of all technical teams, as well as supporting the company’s leadership. He will work closely with the Development, Infrastructure, Architecture, DevOps and DBA teams, ensuring they follow a clear and achievable strategy.
During his seven years with William Hill, Furnival led strategic projects including maintaining compliance and regulatory standards, and streamlining sportsbook platforms. With the company he oversaw three business divisions and more than 130 employees located across Europe.
Regarding his new appointment, Furnival said:
“I am extremely happy to be joining such a modern company that places technical expertise and innovation at its core. I’m a firm believer in a learning culture and striving for continuous improvements, and that strategic goals must be balanced with pragmatism but always with a clear purpose of delivering value.
“My approach is to establish a working environment that allows teams to make efficient and effective decisions through a culture of trust, learning and safety. I believe that with my background in product development and strategy at the operator side, I will lead our teams to deliver even more robust and scalable products for our clients.”
While Managing Director at Degree 53, Andrew Daniels, added:
“I’m very pleased that Andy has joined Degree 53 and he will be a brilliant asset in leading our technical development. Since establishing a gaming division two years ago, we’ve been heavily investing in technical talent to build high-end products for the online gambling industry. Over this period, we’ve recruited solution architects, database administrators, automation testers and infrastructure engineers.
“All of this is part of our drive to create state-of-the-art technology for operators to improve their services and bring innovation to the industry. I’m very proud of what we’ve already achieved and how many skilled individuals Degree 53 has hired over this time. Andy brings unrivalled expertise and leadership capabilities that will drive our development. I welcome Andy to the team and am confident he will transform our technical capabilities.”
