With PartyGaming, which last year generated a $372 million profit from sales of just over $600 million, seemingly set to join the London share elite straight away, Jackson will soon become one of a select band of individuals to have chaired two FTSE 100 companies simultaneously.

Jackson, who also heads London-based venture capital fund manager Elderstreet Investments, is joined on the PartyGaming board by two other private equity leading lights. Former 3i chief executive Brian Larcombe will serve as deputy chairman and senior non-exec. Fellow 3i veteran Rob Perry (who will step down from the venture capital behemoth’s board in July), meanwhile, has been recruited as a non-executive director too.

Though full details of PartyGaming’s flotation have still to be announced, it has been confirmed that existing shareholders are offering around 23 per cent of the company to the market.