Interim Executive Leadership · HVC & VIP Strategy

Three decades at the top table.

Fiona Wood helps operators transform and grow revenue without compromising compliance — as an interim director, strategic advisor, or programme lead.

31 years across Caesars Entertainment, Genting, William Hill, Metropolitan Gaming and London's most exclusive private clubs.

Start a conversation See the results
£25.8MGGR delivered at Metropolitan Gaming
65%High-value customer revenue growth over three years
72% → 83%Customer retention uplift, year on year

About

Commercial growth, built on compliance.

Fiona Wood — professional portrait

With over 31 years at the forefront of the global casino and gaming industry, Fiona Wood's career spans iconic operators — Caesars Entertainment, Genting UK, William Hill, BetVictor, Aspers and Metropolitan Gaming — alongside elite private members clubs including The Ritz Club, Crockfords, 50 St James and The Playboy Club.

Her distinction is holding two disciplines that rarely coexist in one leader: the commercial instincts to grow high-value revenue, and the regulatory fluency to do it in a way the UKGC would applaud. Every strategy she designs is growth-oriented and compliance-aligned by construction — not retrofitted.

Operators engage Fiona when they need director-level capability without a permanent hire: an interim leader who can take the seat on day one, a strategist who has run these programmes at group level, and a safe pair of hands with regulators.

Results

Selected engagements.

No. 01

Rebuilding HVC into a growth engine

Metropolitan Gaming · Group Director, HVC & Player Development · 2022–2026

Situation

A post-pandemic estate needing to rebuild its high-value customer business under intensifying UKGC scrutiny.

Approach

Designed a data-led host strategy and sales frameworks (XCM), rebuilt segmentation and lifecycle management for c. 550 HVC customers, and embedded UKGC-aligned safer gambling and AML frameworks inside the commercial programme — not alongside it.

  • 65% HVC GGR growth over three years; £25.8M GGR with 16% EBITDA uplift YoY
  • £14.1M in acquired and reactivated revenue
  • Retention up from 72% to 83% year on year
  • 23% of total group GGR from ~550 customers — fully compliance-assured

"Fiona transformed Metropolitan Gaming's HVC programme into a commercially viable, yet uber compliant work of art." — Chris Block, General Manager, Wynn Mayfair

No. 02

Group marketing turnaround

Aspers Casino · Group Director of Marketing · 2021–2022

Situation

A multi-venue group with a stalled app project and marketing that lacked cohesion and structure.

Approach

Immersed in the business, identified the commercial opportunities, then took the Marketing Director seat to deliver them — group-wide strategy, CRM and loyalty frameworks.

  • Stalled app project revived and delivered as a working platform within three months
  • Cohesive group-wide CRM and loyalty architecture implemented

"Fiona completely immersed herself into the business... and brought cohesion and structure to a process which lacked both." — Tony Gibbons, Managing Director, Aspers

No. 03

National retention transformation

Genting Casinos UK · SVP, Retention & Player Development · 2017–2019

Situation

A national estate needing modern, behaviour-led retention across its CRM and host teams.

Approach

Directed national retention strategy; designed bespoke behaviour-led retention software and a host-led sales platform with KPIs (built with Atreemo); transformed host workflow efficiency and re-established hospitality standards within CRM teams.

"Fiona has an excellent understanding of data science and analytics, and how they can be utilised for operational and commercial benefit." — James Axelby, Chief Financial Officer, Genting UK plc

Services

Four ways to engage.

No. 01

Interim Executive Leadership

Director-level cover across Marketing, CRM and Player Development — from first board meeting to handover. New market entry, operational launch, team leadership and culture transformation. Typical engagements run 3–12 months, on-site or hybrid.

No. 02

HVC & VIP Strategy

High-value customer acquisition, development and retention — segmentation, tiering, lifecycle mapping, host sales culture and bespoke VIP programme design for premium and ultra-premium segments. The discipline behind £25.8M of delivered GGR.

No. 03

Transformation Leadership

Group-wide marketing strategy and delivery — brand, acquisition, CRM and loyalty under one discipline. Behavioural segmentation, single customer view and personalisation, platform evaluation, and retention campaigns with ROI measurement built in.

No. 04

Compliance & Regulatory Strategy

Safer Gambling and AML-aligned customer engagement, UKGC and international regulatory strategy, policy design, audit preparation and staff training. Growth and compliance designed together, so neither is retrofitted.

Programme delivery is supported by hands-on capability across player acquisition, SEO and content, affiliate management, loyalty economics, vendor and platform advisory, and licensing support — including bringing regulated-market discipline to emerging channels and payment models. Ask about specific delivery needs.

Experience

Three decades. Six landmark roles.

Dec 2022 – Mar 2026

Metropolitan Gaming

Group Director — HVC & Player Development

  • See Results No. 01 above — 65% HVC GGR growth · £25.8M GGR · retention 72%→83%
Jun 2021 – Dec 2022

Aspers Casino

Group Director of Marketing

  • See Results No. 02 above — group-wide marketing strategy, app delivery, CRM and loyalty frameworks
Apr 2019 – Jun 2021

Independent Consultancy

Founder & Managing Director

  • Independent practice providing interim executive leadership and strategic advisory
  • Advisory clients include The Ritz Casino London and operators across Spain, Holland, Malta and Cyprus
Aug 2017 – Apr 2019

Genting Casinos UK

Senior Vice President — Retention & Player Development

  • See Results No. 03 above — national retention strategy and behaviour-led host platforms
Feb 2016 – Aug 2017

William Hill

Director — Elite VIP

  • Created and managed the bespoke Elite VIP programme across online platforms
  • Restructured HVC management teams and increased player lifetime value
Jan 1995 – Jan 2014

Caesars Entertainment Group

Director of Customer Relations

  • VIP relations across the Caesars UK luxury portfolio
  • Directed all UK customer relations hosts
  • Designed sales-driven bonus structures that increased frequency and profitability
Caesars Entertainment◆ Metropolitan Gaming◆ Genting Casinos UK◆ William Hill◆ BetVictor◆ Aspers◆ The Ritz Casino London◆ Crockfords◆ 50 St James◆ The Playboy Club◆

Testimonials

What leaders say.

“

Fiona transformed Metropolitan Gaming's HVC programme into a commercially viable, yet uber compliant work of art. She balances the needs of the business while incorporating the constant changes of guidance from our regulators. I highly recommend Fiona's skill and care in developing and administrating all things HVC.

Chris BlockGeneral Manager, Wynn Mayfair
“

What sets Fiona apart is her ability to connect with people. Whether working with customers, colleagues, regulators, or business partners, she builds trust quickly and develops relationships that create lasting value. I would not hesitate to recommend Fiona to any business seeking an experienced, commercially driven executive.

Michael J. SilberlingCEO, Metropolitan Gaming
“

Fiona has an excellent understanding of data science and analytics, and how they can be utilised for operational and commercial benefit. She has an intuitive feel for how retail and digital businesses in the gaming sector fit together and how to create a strategic multi-channel approach. Fiona is innovative, forward-thinking and change-oriented, and I wish her every success with her future endeavours.

James AxelbyChief Financial Officer, Genting UK plc
“

Fiona completely immersed herself into the business and highlighted a number of opportunities which we could exploit. She then assumed the role of Marketing Director and brought cohesion and structure to a process which lacked both. An excellent team leader and player.

Engage

Work with Fiona.

Whether you need a focused strategic review, a full programme build, or senior interim leadership — the engagement starts with a confidential conversation.

  1. ConversationA confidential call to understand the situation. No charge, no obligation.
  2. ProposalScope, deliverables, timeline and fee structure — day rate or fixed programme fee — within one week.
  3. DeliveryOn-site, hybrid or advisory; weekly reporting to your board or exec team.

All enquiries are handled in strict confidence. By submitting, you consent to your details being used to respond to your enquiry — see the privacy policy.

fiona@fionawoodconsultancy.uk +44 7802 963 364 WhatsApp LinkedIn