Jean-Luc Ferrière

About

CEO, COO, CCO & NED for software businesses | I help leaders close the distance between vision and what gets done week to week

I’ve always believed commercial performance is a by-product of purpose-driven, motivated people, and that a plan only counts once the week reflects it. Having worked both sides of the boardroom table many times over, as an executive and at board level, I tend to see where a plan and the week have drifted apart sooner than most, and I’ve watched these beliefs prove true more than once. And some of my proudest moments have been seeing the teams around me succeed because of those two beliefs. At Microgaming, the Network Games team I built scored highest in the business on our first ever group wide Great Place to Work survey. At Fast Track, the commercial function we put together from an almost standing start underpinned twelve consecutive quarters of company-wide ARR growth, and still going. I’ve spent close to thirty years in commercial and operational roles across iGaming, SaaS and AI businesses, the last decade-plus at executive level including as CEO, CCO and COO. Most recently, I was Chief Operating Officer at Future Anthem, working in real-time data science and AI for iGaming. Before that, I held a series of progressively senior roles at Microgaming and Fast Track. Alongside the executive roles, I’ve sat on boards as advisor and non-executive director including Fast Track, Microgaming, Oceans East and the Isle of Man eGaming Strategic Advisory Board (eGSAB). I’ve also served on the board committee of the Isle of Man Hospice. I recently founded RedThread Advisory, which works alongside the leaders of founder-led software businesses, including in iGaming, AI and data, so that what the business intends long term is what it delivers week to week.

1. Founder

   Red Thread Advisory

   Jun 2026 – Present

   Fractional executive practice providing senior commercial and operational leadership to founder-led tech, AI and iGaming businesses.

2. Chief Operating Officer

   Future Anthem

   Jun 2025 – May 2026

   Designed and built the foundations of a company-wide operating model, comprising a strategic planning cycle, an Agile-based delivery cadence and a cross-functional Prioritisation Council. Executive owner of the programme to build and launch a B2B SaaS and PaaS platform from the company's API-first technology; delivered Phase One with the full programme roadmap in active execution at departure. Audited sales operations for a peer Chief Commercial Officer, then built and ran a programme of process, structure and automation updates. Designed the company's transition to an AI-first way of working, building the full policy, education programme, AI champion structure and operational documentation ahead of handover.

3. Chief Operating Officer

   Fast Track

   Aug 2024 – May 2025

   Ran global operations across 180+ customers on six continents, overseeing seven operational units and a 40-person cross-functional team. Co-led the business reorganisation alongside the executive team, then, within the COO remit, promoted from within into several of the newly taken-on departments and coached those new leaders individually and as a team. Drove a strategic review of the end-to-end customer experience, targeting a consistent +80 NPS. Oversaw critical business functions including customer success, product experts, integration management (technical onboarding) and business operations.

4. Non-Executive Director

   Oceans East Group

   Apr 2023 – Apr 2024

5. Managing Director, Americas

   Fast Track

   Apr 2023 – Aug 2024

   Secured the company's first US customer agreement and state licence. Architected a five-year regional expansion strategy for the Americas. Relocated to the US to establish the Americas branch office, building its corporate, commercial and operational structures from the ground up. Spoke regularly at industry conferences, building the company's profile in the Americas.

6. Chief Executive Officer (Part-Time)

   Oceans East

   Oct 2021 – Mar 2023

   Isle of Man

   Set up the company's core operating structure, governance and risk management for its next stage. Initiated Isle of Man licensing to support expansion.

7. Chief Commercial Officer

   Fast Track

   Jan 2021 – Mar 2023

   Built and scaled the commercial function from an almost standing start — the structures and teams behind 12 consecutive quarters of company-wide ARR growth. Developed commercial infrastructure, pricing strategy and operational metrics to support the group's growth trajectory. Led customer acquisition, engagement and retention strategy across the full customer base, and introduced NPS to the business.

8. Non-Executive Director and Chair of the Board

   Microgaming

   Jan 2021 – Dec 2021

9. Representative Member

   Betting & Gaming Council (BGC)

   Jan 2021 – Dec 2021

10. Advisory Board Member

    Fast Track

    Oct 2020 – Apr 2023

11. Advisory Board Member

    Isle of Man Government eGaming Strategic Advisory Board (eGSAB)

    Oct 2020 – Jan 2023

12. Founder & Managing Partner

    People Purpose

    Jun 2020 – Jan 2023

    Isle of Man

    Secured two long-term retainer engagements worth over £250,000 in annual billable revenue within the first two months of operation. Provided founder and board advisory, strategic consulting and executive coaching to a range of tech start-ups. Signed referral partnerships with Accertify, Advantage and Fast Track Solutions. Served in interim C-suite roles, including Chief Commercial Officer and Chief Information Officer.

13. Chief Commercial Officer

    Microgaming

    Jan 2018 – Dec 2020

    Isle of Man

    Led commercial, business development, sales, marketing, HR and analytics teams as Executive Director; chaired the Audit & Risk and Data Governance Committees. Co-led a two-year business transformation programme, re-engineering operations and governance across a complex, multi-product business. Co-built a new senior leadership team alongside CEO and COO peers, then coached and mentored new directors across HR, Marketing, Data & Analytics, Sales and Business Development, several of them promoted internally into the role. Sponsored ISMS implementation, achieving ISO 27001 certification for digital security.

14. Director of Network Games

    Microgaming

    Jan 2016 – Jan 2018

    Isle of Man

    Co-designed the group's shift from a centralised structure to autonomous, end-to-end business units, then took ownership of Network Games as one of the first units built under the new model: purpose, commercial strategy and organisational design from the ground up, placing people into new leadership roles and coaching them individually and as a team. Led the business through a period of sustained growth across the Poker and Bingo verticals, negotiating customer agreements including a 7.5-year agreement with Broadway Gaming and a platform migration deal with Danske Spil, the Danish state lottery. Network Games scored highest across the entire group worldwide in the 2017 Great Place to Work survey. Introduced the business's first Net Promoter Score (NPS) tracking, delivering significant improvements within the first six months.

15. Head of Service & Delivery

    Microgaming

    Jan 2012 – Jan 2016

    Isle of Man

16. Head of Delivery

    Microgaming

    Jan 2010 – Jan 2012

    Isle of Man

17. Product Delivery Manager

    Microgaming

    Jan 2008 – Jan 2010

    Isle of Man

18. Account Manager to Head of Technical Management

    Derivco

    Jan 1999 – Jan 2008

    South Africa

    With consistent promotion across commercial, service and technical leadership functions.

1. Institute of Directors (IoD)

   Certificate, Leading from the Chair

   — – Jan 2020

2. Edinburgh Business School (Heriot-Watt University)

   Postgraduate Certificate, Strategic Planning

   — – Jan 2018

3. Damelin (Oxford Brookes)

   MBA (Incomplete)

   — – Jan 2008

   Studies interrupted by relocation to the UK

4. Damelin

   Diploma, Business Management

   — – Jan 2002

1. Fellow

   Chartered Management Institute

   Issued Sep 2020

2. Member

   Institute of Directors

   Issued Jan 2019

3. Personal Management Licence (PML)

   UK Gambling Commission

   Issued Feb 2015

• Commercial Function Build & Scale
• Operating Model & Delivery Design
• Regulated Market Governance & Licensing
• Global Operations & Market Expansion
• Business Transformation & Change Leadership
• Leadership Team Build & Coaching