John Dyson has departed from his position as National Operations Director with the Rank Group (LON: RNK) to take up the role of Customer Operations Director at UK TOTE Group.
Starting as a General Manager in 2003, John spent five years in the position before being promoted to Area Manager in 2008. During his almost three-year stay as Area Manager, John oversaw the first conversion of a traditional bingo hall (Catford) into a highly successful ‘Full House Destination’ venue.
After two and a half years as Operations Development Manager, John served as Area Manager again for another year and a half.
It was in March 2015 that John was appointed National Operations Director for the Rank Group, a position he held for eight years until now.
Ending of a Long Career in Difficult Times
source: LinkedIn
After a 20-year career with Mecca Bingo and its owner the Rank Group, John’s departure will come as a surprise for many. A well-known and well-liked industry figure, John was very much the face and voice of Mecca Bingo during undoubtedly one of its toughest periods of late.
The COVID-19 pandemic which ravished the hospitality industry hit the Group with its land-based Mecca bingo halls and Grosvenor Casinos.
Despite bingo visitors increasing in the final quarter of 2022 and, according to reports, in early 2023 too, Mecca bingo closed seven of its clubs at the end of February.
The closures came as the Rank Group saw its profits plunge into losses at the end of last year as the cost of living crisis and soaring energy costs limited any post-Covid bounce back.
John’s appointment in the role of Customer Operations Director for the UK TOTE Group, announced on LinkedIn, was met with greeted with warm congratulations from former colleagues and rivals, a testimony to the high regard John is held to within the industry.
The UK Tote Group owns the Tote, the UK’s original pool betting operator founded in 1928, and will be a move away from the UK bingo world for John after two decades.
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