Camelot group CEO retirement prompts restructure

National Lottery owner Camelot is restructuring its business into two separate UK and global divisions following the departure of group CEO Dianne Thompson CBE.

Dianne Thompson CBE
Dianne Thompson CBE is to retire as Camelot’s group CEO in October 2014.

Thompson will retire in October after 14 years as group CEO and 17 years with the company.

As a result, Andy Duncan, managing director of the UK business since 2011, will become CEO of Camelot UK Lotteries Limited. Meanwhile, group chief financial officer and strategy director Nigel Railton will become CEO of Camelot Global Services Limited.

Both will report into Lee Sienna, chairman of the Camelot Group of Companies. Over the next six months those three executives and Thompson will work to finalise the new structure across the business.

Sienna said of the changes: “A vibrant and flourishing UK National Lottery will continue to remain at the very heart of Camelot’s operations, with the group also looking to add to its growing portfolio of interests outside of the UK. In appointing two CEOs with the calibre and experience of Andy Duncan and Nigel Railton, there will be a seamless transition to the next chapter of Camelot’s history.”

Thompson had originally planned to leave the company in 2012 but agreed to continue in the role at the request of Camelot’s owner, the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan, in order to device and implement the group’s international growth strategy as well as furthering its UK plans amid competition from new entrant Richard Desmond’s Health Lottery.

She has agreed to working in a consultative capacity with Camelot after leaving the business, while continuing to serve as president of the Market Research Society alongside her other non-executive and charitable roles.

Thompson joined Camelot in 1997 as commercial operations director and quickly worked her way up the ranks to become chief executive in 2000.

Under her leadership, the National Lottery has fought and won two licence competitions and secured a four year extension of its current licence to 2023. In 2012/13 she helped Camelot achieve its highest ever ticket sales of almost £7bn, ahead of the launch of the new-look Lotto £2 game in October last year – the biggest change to the raffle in its 20-year history.

Prior to joining Camelot, Thompson served in a range of marketing roles over her 40-year career including holding the director of marketing position at retailer Woolworths.

Today (29 April) The National Lottery launched a marketing campaign to promote its investment in good causes after previously admitting it needs to do more to improve understanding of how it uses the money raised by game sales. 

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