Aristocrat names ex-Entain COO Dafne Guisard CEO-elect as Croker retires

Aristocrat Leisure announced on 11 November that Trevor Croker intends to retire as CEO and Managing Director in April 2027, with Dafne Guisard, previously chief operating officer at Entain, named as CEO-elect. The change was disclosed alongside the group's FY26 results, which showed Interactive revenue growth but a lower segment profit.

For suppliers, operators and affiliates, the move puts a former Entain operations head in charge of Aristocrat.

What happened

Aristocrat said in its announcement that its board took external advice and weighed internal and external candidates before choosing Guisard. She is expected to take over in April 2027 after what the company called a comprehensive transition.

Guisard became part of Aristocrat's executive team in early 2026 as Chief Commercial Officer for EMEA, and has since also taken responsibility for the Product Madness operating business. Before that she was Entain's chief operating officer, and her earlier senior roles included positions at Kraft Heinz and Anheuser-Busch InBev. She will relocate to Las Vegas to take up the CEO role.

Croker will stay with the company to support her for twelve months from the announcement. Aristocrat said he will have completed over ten years as CEO and 18 years in senior leadership.

Aristocrat chairman Neil Chatfield said the board considered Guisard "the ideal choice to succeed Trevor," and the company said the board had weighed the benefits of an internal appointment.

The company also published a summary of key contract terms:

• Total fixed remuneration of US$1,050,000 in cash.
• A FY27 short-term incentive of 1.5 times fixed pay, split equally between cash and deferred equity.
• A FY27 long-term incentive worth three times fixed pay, awarded as performance share rights.
• Severance of 12 months' total fixed pay, and a 12-month non-compete and non-solicitation period.

FY26 results

According to CasinoBeats, revenue for the group in the year ending 30 September 2026 came to A$6,092.4m, down 3.2% in reported currency and up 3.8% at constant currency. Statutory net profit declined by 16.4% to A$1.37bn, as the prior-year figure included income linked to the Plarium sale.

In Aristocrat Interactive, Interactive content and iLottery each recorded 17% revenue growth, but segment profit came in below the figure recorded a year earlier. By September 2026 the group's share of the online slots market stood at 8%, a share that had more than doubled. Aristocrat maintained its goal of US$1bn in Interactive revenue by FY29, including its share of joint-venture revenue.

Product Madness increased revenue by 2% while the wider social casino market shrank, lifting its share to 24%, CasinoBeats reported.

Why it matters

Suppliers and operators dealing with Aristocrat should expect a change in commercial leadership from April 2027, and may want to check whether current content, distribution and integration discussions depend on the existing executive team. Guisard has already covered EMEA commercial responsibilities, which suggests continuity in how European accounts are handled, although the company has not set out any strategy changes.

Guisard's Entain background is likely to be read by operators as relevant experience. Whether that shapes pricing, partnership terms or market selection has not been stated by the company.

For affiliates promoting Aristocrat content through operator partners, the results point to growing online slots share alongside lower segment profit. That could mean continued investment in content and distribution, but any effect on partner terms is not addressed in the sources, so teams should watch operator-side announcements rather than assume changes.

What's next

Guisard is expected to start as CEO in April 2027. Croker is due to remain with the company to support the handover for twelve months from 11 November. For FY27, Aristocrat has said it anticipates further growth in NPATA, meaning profit before amortisation of acquired intangibles, at constant currency.