Business

Gary McGann set for chairman role at Polish ecommerce platform

Veteran executive has previously served on the board of Flutter and Aryzta

Gary McGann has 'profound experience' for role as chairman of ecommerce platform Allegro, the company said. Photograph: Alan Betson

Ian Curran
Thu Mar 14 2024 - 15:24

Irish businessman Gary McGann is set to be appointed as chairman of the board of Poland’s largest ecommerce platform pending the approval of shareholders.

The veteran executive, who previously served as chairman of betting giant Flutter and group chief executive of Smurfit Kappa among other roles, will be put forward for the position of non-executive director at Allegro’s annual general meeting later this year.

Mr McGann has consented to his appointment, according to an announcement made to the Warsaw Stock Exchange on Tuesday, replacing Darren Huston.

Mr Huston, who also serves as chairman of airline price comparison platform Skyscanner, will leave the company after seven years in the role in which he “led the company” through its initial public offering in 2020, Allegro said.

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The businessman “has profound experience as an executive and non-executive director”, it said.

Mr McGann was chairman of Paddy Power owner Flutter between 2015 and 2023, during which time the betting giant expanded rapidly in the US after acquiring American betting platform FanDuel in 2018.

He was also a non-executive director at Stephen Vernon’s property group Green REIT and served as chief executive of Aer Lingus for a time. Along with several Irish directors, Mr McGann stepped down as chairman of Cuisine de France owner Aryzta in 2020 after activist investors took charge of the Swiss company in a partial boardroom coup.

Founded in 1999, Luxembourg-registered Allegro has grown rapidly in recent years, reporting group revenues of more than €10 billion last year. Although it generates most of its revenues in Poland, it has expanded across central Europe and claims to serve some 20 million customers annually.

In January, Barclays analysts identified Allegro as one of several European companies that could be targets for private equity acquisitions this year. The company declined to comment about the prospect of being taken private at the time.

Ian Curran

Ian Curran

Ian Curran is a Business reporter with The Irish Times

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