FDJ Appoints New Leadership to Kindred’s Board
Following its €2.45 billion acquisition of Kindred Group, French gaming operator FDJ has appointed a new chairman and three executive directors to Kindred’s board. This restructuring comes after the resignation of chairman Evert Carlsson and five other directors.
Resignation of Kindred’s Chairman and Directors
In the wake of FDJ’s approved takeover on October 4, Kindred’s chairman, Evert Carlsson, along with directors James H. Gemmel, Cédric Boireau, Andrew McCue, Jonas Jansson, and Kenneth Shea, tendered their resignations. These departures mark a significant shift in Kindred’s leadership as the company transitions under new ownership.
Directors Heidi Skogster and Martin Randel also submitted their resignations but will remain on the board until their terms expire at Kindred’s next annual general meeting in 2025. Both joined the board in recent years—Skogster in 2021 and Randel in 2023—and serve as independent non-executive directors.
FDJ Executives Join Kindred’s Board
FDJ has appointed three of its executives to fill the vacancies on Kindred’s board. Pascal Chaffard will take on the role of chairman, bringing extensive experience from his tenure at FDJ since 1994, where he currently serves as Executive Vice President of Finance, Performance, and Strategy. Joining him are Edeline Minaire, FDJ’s finance director for the past five years, and Célia Vérot, who has been FDJ’s chief regulation officer since May 2024.
The restructured board of directors now consists of Chaffard, Minaire, Vérot, Skogster, and Randel. The new appointees are expected to bring significant expertise and leadership to guide Kindred through its next phase of development under FDJ’s ownership.
FDJ’s bid was approved by 90% of Kindred’s shareholders after the operator unanimously recommended accepting the offer. Kindred’s B2C offerings and its game studio Relax Gaming will be integrated with FDJ’s portfolio, which includes online sports betting, poker, and the ZEturf business. The combined group will operate under the ‘competitive online betting and gaming’ umbrella.
