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8th October, 2025 – The Pools has announced the appointment of former Betfred executive Gemma Strath-Billington as its new Head of Group Marketing.
In her new role, Strath-Billington will be responsible for leading The Pools’ brand, digital, and consumer engagement strategy, driving the next chapter of marketing innovation and growth for the iconic British betting brand.
She joins The Pools after holding senior marketing positions at Betfred and supermarket chain Iceland, as well as with Play Music Today and live music marketplace GigPig. Strath-Billington began her career at Betfred in 2006 as Head of Offline Marketing, before being promoted to Group Head of Marketing in 2014, where she played a key role in building the brand and delivering major campaigns. After 15 years with Betfred, she moved to Iceland to oversee a repositioning and rebrand.
At The Pools, Strath-Billington will work closely with CEO James Arnold and report directly to COO Steve Talbot. Her appointment follows a series of senior hires over the past year, including Phillip Donegan as Chief Technology Officer, Chris Williams as Head of Product, and Matt Knowles as Head of CRM. These moves form part of The Pools’ aggressive growth strategy, which delivered a major rebrand in February.
Most recently, the company unveiled the latest phase of its rebrand in August with the launch of its TV and video on demand (VOD) advertising campaign, True Originals.
Gemma Strath-Billington, The Pools Head of Group Marketing, said:
“I’m excited to join James, Steve and all the team at The Pools, who have done such an amazing job in recent months in delivering a game-changing relaunch.
The ‘True Originals’ campaign was another big step forward for The Pools, and my role will now be to build on that success, delivering a growth strategy centred on innovation and engagement.
The Pools is such an iconic and cherished brand and I am delighted to take both customers new and old with us as we enter a bright next chapter.”
James Arnold, The Pools CEO, said:
“Gemma’s wealth of experience in the sector and track record of delivering successful brand campaigns made her the ideal candidate for the role and we’re delighted to have made this appointment.
We’ve generated some strong momentum this year following our rebrand and through the launch of our recent ‘True Originals’ campaign, and we look forward to building on this over the coming months.
Gemma will play an integral role as we continue to leverage the historic brand’s unique position in British sports and betting culture, while reaching new audiences and the next generation of football fans.”
