Allwyn UK has announced a comprehensive new leadership structure aimed at driving the next phase of its ongoing transformation of The National Lottery.
Set to take effect on December 1, 2026, the updated senior team framework is engineered to accelerate business growth, increase financial returns for Good Causes, and enhance the overall experience for players and retail partners. By aligning key commercial, customer, and technology capabilities more closely around Allwyn’s Retail and Digital channels, while elevating the strategic importance of marketing, the operator is streamlining its corporate architecture.
To reinforce the direct connection between playing The National Lottery and supporting community initiatives across the UK, Alastair Ruxton will transition from Chief Impact Officer to a newly created, dedicated Director of Social Impact role reporting directly to CEO Phil Walker.
Furthermore, as part of the operational integration, technology capabilities will merge directly into Digital, Retail, and Security, leading to the conclusion of the standalone Chief Technology Officer and Managing Director (Digital) roles. Responsibility for overarching strategy and future business direction will transition to the CEO, concluding the Chief Strategy & Transformation Officer position.
Executive transitions and new appointments
The structural evolution involves several key departures and new additions. Current Chief Technology Officer Mark Smith will step down from his executive duties but remain as a Technology Strategy Adviser through June 2027 to ensure seamless technical continuity. Richard Dawkins, Managing Director of Digital, will depart in December 2026 after nearly three years of steering digital transformation and portfolio innovation, while Sarah Venning, Chief Strategy & Transformation Officer, will leave the business at the end of November 2026.
To support future growth, Allwyn is introducing two critical executive positions:
- Chief Digital Officer (CDO): Will oversee digital products, channels, customer experience, technology, data platforms, automation, and AI, alongside commercial accountability for digital channels.
- Chief Marketing Officer (CMO): Will unify Brand, Marketing, Creative, CRM, Communications, Product Marketing, Winners’ Services, and Customer Experience.
Stephen Taylor will join Allwyn as interim Chief Marketing Officer on November 17, 2026. Bringing over three years of executive marketing expertise with major global brands including PayPal, Samsung, Nokia, and Pizza Express, Taylor joins from his strategic advisory firm, CMO Thrive.
Leadership perspective on strategic growth
Commenting on the structural transformation, CEO Phil Walker stated:
“The transformation of The National Lottery has involved an enormous amount of work across our business. Our challenge now is to turn that transformation into stronger growth, a better experience for players and retail partners, and more money for Good Causes. That means putting customers closer to our decisions, giving our Retail and Digital businesses the capabilities they need to compete and innovate, and creating much clearer accountability for performance. 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.”
