EPIC Risk Management welcome Les Murray as Managing Director
EPIC Risk Management has made a key appointment during a period of rapid expansion as experienced business transformation expert Les Murray joins the globally leading gambling harm minimisation consultancy as Managing Director.
Working closely alongside Founder and CEO Paul Buck, Murray will be helping the organisation to maximise awareness of its education programmes and thought leadership in gambling harm prevention at a time when it has just launched both a US subsidiary, EPIC Risk Management US, PBC and the EPIC Risk Management Pro Sport Advisory Board. The latter is the first body to bring together leaders from around the world of professional sport and eSports in order to find ways of preventing and reducing gaming and gambling harm within those sectors.
EPIC has recently announced a four-year education programme with the Professional Cricketers’ Association (PCA) to deliver projects for the benefit of both male and female professional cricketers within the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) system, as well as projects in major sports leagues, corporate institutions and both state and private schools or colleges.
Murray brings experience as a consultant, coach, and facilitator to the organisation, having worked with numerous large blue chip institutions to achieve growth or expand their global reach.
Murray led business transformation programmes as a Director with Collinson Grant, Chairman at Vistage UK, served as Business Development Director for Littlewoods, and a Director with PwC/IM in the consulting services division.
Commenting on his appointment, Murray said he was excited and privileged to take on the role:
“Demand for EPIC Risk Management’s life-changing training and consultancy services has continued to grow during Covid-19.
“I join a uniquely talented organisation established by Paul Buck, and built by the Senior Leadership Team, which increasingly pivots towards international markets. I am honoured to now shape and help lead this socially driven and commercially sustainable business on its future growth journey.
“The work on reducing gambling-related harm has never been more important with the Gambling Act Review in the UK, the acceleration of sports gambling across the US, coupled to enquiries for our support from leading organisations around the globe. I’m excited to get started and look forward to contributing to the high impact work EPIC delivers on helping to take the problem out of gambling.”
EPIC Risk Management Founder and CEO Paul Buck is enthused about bringing in a Managing Director with over 35 years experience in high profile business sectors, adding:
“In a field of exciting, high calibre candidates, Les stood out for his undoubted track record of taking organisations to the next level through consultancy and coaching, identifying their strengths and helping them to realise their potential.
“His previous clients have included numerous FTSE 100 and FTSE 250 multinationals, so with our work expanding on an increasingly global level, his experience will be vital in helping our organisation to spread the vital message of how to minimise gambling related harms.
“Les’ warm character is a perfect fit for our organisation, which puts an undoubted focus on the people who work for us and alongside us, and I look forward to seeing the longer-term benefits that his expertise will have on all of those individuals as we establish new projects and break new ground with the territories in which we’ll be delivering.”
The arrival of the new Managing Director is part of a busy period of continued growth for the company, which has also welcomed three further faces. Sam Brooks – who has been an Industry Fellow for the University of West England and a training and development specialist for the Army – is EPIC’s new Evaluation and Research Manager, Joanna Whitehall joins as Sustainability Manager after 25 years in harm minimisation and player protection, and Alan Smart arrives as further lived experience in the ranks as Harm Prevention Manager.
EPIC Risk Management is a globally leading independent gambling harm minimisation consultancy. Working across the highest risk sectors for gambling-related harm, EPIC has worked in 23 countries on ground-breaking harm minimisation programmes, sector leading gambling operator training, and class-leading advisory. EPIC draws on lived experience to help individuals and organisations across financial services, elite sport, the military, criminal justice, education, and the gambling industry to minimise gambling and improve player protection.
EPIC has also worked with Chelsea FC, Manchester City FC, English Football League (EFL), Barclays Bank, the British Army, Sodexo Justice Services, Belgian Pro League, the Rugby Players’ Association (RPA), the Rugby Football League (RFL), Rugby Players Ireland, Chicago Fire FC, New South Wales Cricket and the Professional Cricketers’ Association (PCA).
