Three execs exit Allwyn UK in National Lottery transformation
Phil Walker stepped in as interim CEO of Allwyn UK after Andria Vidler’s departure was announced in August, but he will soon be joined by three fresh appointments in newly created roles.
Changes to the leadership structure follow on from the departure of Allwyn UK CEO Andria Vidler, which was announced in August
Allwyn UK has made significant changes at the executive level of the National Lottery in a bid to deliver stronger growth and higher contributions to good causes.
Leaving the company are chief technology officer Mark Smith, managing director of digital Richard Dawkins and chief strategy and transformation officer Sarah Venning.
Phil Walker stepped in as interim CEO of Allwyn UK after Andria Vidler’s departure was announced in August, but he will soon be joined by three fresh appointments in newly created roles.
Current chief impact officer Alastair Ruxton is set to take on the director of social impact position, reporting directly to the CEO.
The positions of chief marketing officer and chief digital officer are still to be filled, though NEXT.io understands former PayPal CMO Stephen Taylor will be taking over the former role on an interim basis.
The new structure will be effective from 1 December 2026.
Walker said: “Changes of this scale inevitably affect people who have played important roles in getting us to where we are today. This next stage builds on what they have helped us achieve, and I want to thank them personally for the contribution they and their teams have made to The National Lottery.”
Walker’s leadership role
Not only are Smith, Dawkins and Venning leaving Allwyn, but those executive roles are being discontinued.
Allwyn has explained that, as part of the restructuring, the technology leadership function held by Smith will become more directly integrated into the digital, retail and security department.
As for the responsibilities of Venning in strategy and transformation, these are being consolidated within the remit of the CEO.
Walker has been in post since September but will take on these extra functions while still only holding the position on an interim basis.
Allwyn UK did not give a reason for Vidler’s exit at the time, simply saying in a statement that she and Allwyn UK chairman Justin King had agreed that “this is the right moment for her to step down.”
It was under her leadership that the technological overhaul of the National Lottery was eventually delivered and completed this year, though the project did experience multiple delays.
Walker’s selection for the interim position was criticised in some quarters due to his previous roles and association with the adult gaming centre (AGC) sector.
MPs including Labour’s Dawn Butler and Conservative Iain Duncan Smith registered their concern with the Gambling Commission on this point, given the National Lottery’s unique position as the country’s biggest public sector contract.
Good causes
The ambition of Allwyn in all these changes is to help deliver on its targets regarding the National Lottery’s contribution to good causes.
Doing so requires increased growth in terms of sales, while the operator clearly also believes it needs to speak more loudly about the work it is already doing in that area.
The new executive team is tasked with placing a “greater focus on the connection between playing The National Lottery and supporting Good Causes.”
This will in part be a job for the marketing department, which Allwyn says it will be “elevating” across the business.
The new director of social impact will be responsible for “communicating the positive impact of the National Lottery on communities across the UK.”
Walker added: “Good Causes are at the heart of what makes The National Lottery special. We have a real opportunity to help more people understand the extraordinary difference players make through The National Lottery and make that an even stronger reason to play.”
https://next.io/news/people/three-execs-leave-allwyn-uk-national-lottery/