25th March 2025 -Bede Gaming has announced a new leader in its executive team with the appointment of David Bartley as Chief People Officer.  

Bartley brings 14 years of HR experience in the gambling and technology industries, including iGaming while at Playtech, and a track of success in business change management, staffing strategy and international entity development. 

Since joining Bede as Head of People in 2023, Bartley has played a key role in Bede’s senior leadership and managing business changes. He has also held responsibility for all people related strategies for its 300 employees across its three international locations, including but not limited to performance management, global employee engagement, benefits, health & wellbeing and professional development.

His success in these activities was recognised at the Dynamites 2024 hosted by Dynamo North East, where Bede won the Skills Developer Award for its commitment to learning, development and career progression, with continual improvement and technical innovation being a core aspect of the software supplier’s culture. 

With his elevation to a C-level position, Bartley will amplify the people perspective and expertise on hand to Bede’s executive team and his strategic goals will focus on: strengthening internal connection across all teams, enhancing colleague performance, improving upon systems and procedures, and increasing the levels of employee engagement, satisfaction and recognition throughout the business.

“David is a perfect fit for Bede’s first Chief People Officer. He exemplifies the leadership, transparency and dedication that our values and culture represent, and I’m keen to see the perspectives that he will bring to the executive team. He already has a clear strategic vision for taking us forward as a competitive employer in our industry, and being able to provide this kind of support for our teams goes a long way in producing innovative, market-leading products and services,” said Colin Cole-Johnson, Bede Chief Executive Officer. 

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The appointment of a dedicated human resources expert to the executive team demonstrates the leading platform provider’s ambition to be the best place to work, prioritizing its people strategy at the highest level of leadership. 

“As I’m sure is expected for someone in my position, my favourite part about Bede has been the people,” commented Bartley. “It’s something we say a lot around here: our People are truly what makes Bede special. There’s a great mix of competence, a drive to do the right thing, and strong collaborative instincts. I’m excited for this next step in my career and eager for the opportunity to continue delivering people-focused initiatives that will support and inspire every member of our global team.” 

About Bede

Bede Gaming, part of the MERKUR GROUP, is a leading supplier of software to the online gambling industry, powering some of the sector’s biggest brands. Bede Gaming provides pioneering operators with innovative solutions to achieve significant digital growth across lottery, casino, sports betting and bingo.

The award-winning gaming platform developed by Bede processes billions of transactions per year. It is scalable, modular and adaptable with open API, allowing operators to use its bespoke tools or to seamlessly integrate with any third-party software. The platform also integrates into land-based systems offering a genuine omni-channel convergence solution. In addition to platform, Bede provides native app and front-end development services as well as a robust reporting toolkit, all built on cutting edge technology. Through Bede’s platform and services, their international customers have been able to achieve significant, sustainable growth in highly competitive digital markets.

The Bede platform currently runs a live portfolio of four globally-renowned customer operators including publicly listed and private gambling and lottery companies. Headquartered in Newcastle upon Tyne (UK), it is maintained by an international staff of 300 across 3 continents. Bede, which is certified to ISO 27001, is licensed by the UK Gambling Commission, the Western Cape Gambling and Racing Board in South Africa, the Alcohol and Gaming Commission in Ontario and the Malta Gaming Authority.