The Pools has announced the appointment of Chris Williams as Head of Product and Matt Knowles as Head of CRM, marking key steps in the company’s ongoing restructuring. These hires are expected to play crucial roles in The Pools’ growth strategy for 2025, as the British betting brand works to enhance its multi-channel approach in preparation for a major rebranding campaign early in the new year.
Williams brings a decade of experience in the sports betting industry, with a strong background in product innovation across mobile, app, and web platforms. He previously worked as Product Manager at SIS Betting for three years, followed by four years as Senior Product Manager at Sky Betting & Gaming. Most recently, Williams served as Head of Product at LiveScore Group for the last three years.
Knowles joins The Pools with extensive experience in customer engagement and retention. He has held key positions at BV Group (formerly Victor Chandler), Betfair, Gamesys, and most recently Betway Group, where he led global projects aimed at optimising customer loyalty, satisfaction, and overall engagement.
These appointments follow The Pools’ recent recruitment of Sharon Wright as Marketing Director and Phillip Donegan as Chief Technology Officer, both of whom bring significant expertise from major brands like Nike, Adidas, Reebok, and Betfred. The company plans to announce additional hires in the coming months as part of its ambitious growth strategy heading into 2025.
James Arnold, The Pools CEO, said: “As we head into 2025, both enhancing our product and building upon our relationships with loyal customers while targeting new ones is imperative to our major rebrand and sustaining growth in 2025.
“We are in good hands with Chris and Matt’s rich experience in these areas and bringing them on board gives me great satisfaction as I know the many skills both have to offer and the value they’ll bring to The Pools moving forwards.
“With so much excitement about our prospects for next year, our improved web, mobile and app experience for customers will be a cornerstone of our multi-platform digital transformation.”
Chris Williams, The Pools Head of Product, said: “The Pools is a British institution and has such a rich heritage in the UK so I am thrilled to join James and the team for an exciting new chapter in 2025.
“My remit will be to deliver a best-in-class product across web, mobile and app as we relaunch this iconic brand to new audiences and I am delighted to accept the challenge.”
Matt Knowles, The Pools Head of CRM, said: “The Pools is built on its loyal customer base that has given the brand its unique and unrivalled identity across its 100-year history.
“I am looking forward to helping engage and grow The Pools’ many players and targeting new audiences as James and the team continue to make great strides with such a well-respected and much-loved brand.”
