The founder and chief executive of locally-based bookmakers Boylesports is set to retire later this year.
John Boyle founded the company with his first shop in Markethill in Armagh in 1982 and has seen it grow to become the largest independent bookmaker in Ireland with 231 retail branches throughout the country with its headquarters located in Dundalk.
The 61-year-old told The Sunday Independent recently that he would be stepping down from his position as CEO to become chairman of the company.
He said: “I’ve been CEO now since 2012 and that’s not my gig. My gig was retail and going out and finding stores. But I’ve gone in and I’ve enjoyed it for five years. I’m ready this year to step back from the frontline of being CEO.”
He said the next chief executive would probably be someone who already works at the business and also revealed that he hoped to see Boylesports operating in the retail market in the UK later this year, with a target of 100 shops over the next 12 months.
The company is also casting the net further afield. It has employed a firm of consultants to bring it a monthly update on potential acquisitions worldwide.
