National Lottery replaces chief executive to drive turnaround – AOL
The National Lottery is to replace its chief executive in an effort to draw a line under a catalogue of technical troubles and missed growth targets.
Andria Vidler, the chief executive of Allwyn UK, will leave next month after almost three years in the role. She will be replaced on an interim basis by Phil Walker, a former William Hill executive.
Ms Vidler, a veteran media executive who previously led record label EMI and publisher Centaur Media, took up the role at Allwyn in October 2023, shortly before the start of its 10-year licence to run the National Lottery.
Allwyn, which is controlled by Karel Komárek, the Czech billionaire, emerged victorious in a fierce competition to win the licence, ending three decades of control by previous operator Camelot.
He successfully runs lotteries around the world and has pledged to invest in and modernise Britain’s prize draw.
Allwyn swept in with a promise to boost money for charitable donations from almost £18bn to £38bn – equivalent to £3.8bn a year – over the coming decade.
But its handling of the National Lottery has been hampered by a number of setbacks, including delays to a major upgrade of ageing IT systems.
Allwyn has also been tied up by a lengthy legal battle between Richard Desmond and the Gambling Commission. The controversial entrepreneur sued for £1.3bn over the regulator’s decision not to award him the lottery licence.
A High Court judge comprehensively dismissed the claim in April, leaving Mr Desmond on the hook for around £70m in legal fees.
However, the wrangling has been a significant factor in the National Lottery so far falling short of its pledges on good causes under Allwyn.
The Telegraph revealed last month that Lisa Nandy, the Culture Secretary, had named the National Lottery among a number of proposed targets for nationalisation under Andy Burnham.
Ministers have also launched the first review of how the money from National Lottery ticket sales is spent in more than two decades as Ms Nandy said the model was “showing its age”.
The appointment of Mr Walker as interim chief executive will equip Allwyn with more direct experience of the gambling sector.
He has held a number of senior roles at William Hill over the past six years, including as managing director for UK and Ireland.
Allwyn has also launched the search for a permanent successor to Ms Vidler, who will remain at the company in an advisory capacity until the end of October.
Justin King, the Allwyn UK chairman, said: “Since Andria joined us, she has led from the front through an intense period of change, helping to complete the much-needed and long-overdue transformation of The National Lottery.
“With the major transition milestones delivered, now is the right time to look to the future and build on the solid foundations that have been laid.”
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