Codere appoints Luis Villalba as its new Chief Financial Officer

Codere Group has announced Luis Villalba as its new Chief Financial Officer (CFO). He replaces Óscar Fernández de Llano, who left the company earlier this year due to personal reasons. As CFO, Villalba will lead Codere’s financial strategy after the refinancing and support the business in strengthening its investor relations. 

Previously, Villalba served as the CFO and member of the executive committee at Deoleo Group, where he oversaw the accounting and administration, management control, treasury, investor relations, tax, and IT departments.

Before this, Villalba spent over 17 years at PricewaterhouseCoopers. His tenure included working across audit, transaction services, and business recovery services. In total, he brings about 25 years of financial experience to the role.

“This appointment is of great relevance in this new stage of the group, in which Codere seeks to consolidate its project and generate value in the market,” Codere said in a statement. “Villalba’s versatility and solid financial experience are a valuable asset to the company."

The new appointment comes after Codere named Gonzaga Higuero as its new chief executive officer this month. As Codere’s CEO, Higuero will be in charge of leading the operator's growth plans across its core operating markets. And earlier in June, Codere added Michal Elimelech to its board of directors.