Betfair has added some retail experience muscle to its board of directors with the appointment this week of Marks and Spencers finance exec Ian Dyson as an independent non- executive director. The appointment of Dyson was immediately seen by industry observers as further proof that Betfair will soon seek a public listing.
The company recently hired Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and Morgan Stanley to review its options, which include a possible £1.5 billion ($2.4 billion) share sale, the Sunday Times reported January 24, although Victoria Palmer-Moore, an external spokeswoman for the company, declined to comment .
Founded 11 years ago by Andrew Black and Edward Wray, Betfair says it processes more than 6 million transactions a day from 3 million registered customers, generating revenue from sports betting, online casino and poker games.