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Allwyn Announces New Leadership Team to Spearhead Delivery of the National Lottery

Published

3 years ago

September 13, 2023

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Reading Time: 2 minutes

Allwyn has announced the new leadership team that will oversee the delivery of the Fourth National Lottery Licence, which begins on 1 February 2024, and the transformation of the National Lottery over the next decade.

Robert Chvàtal, Allwyn CEO who will handover the reins of the UK leadership to Andria Vidler in October, said: “This is a talented team with deep experience and a strong personal commitment to delivering the very best for communities across the UK through ever greater returns to Good Causes from The National Lottery. Andria and I look forward to working with them all over the coming years.”

From 1 October 2023, the new Allwyn leadership will be:

Chief Executive Officer – Andria Vidler
Chief Assurance and Participant Protection Officer – Gaby Heppner-Logan
Chief Commercial Officer – Lucy Buckley
Interim Chief Data Officer – Martin Novak
Chief Financial Officer – Alan Artz
Chief Operating Officer – Chris Lyman
Chief People Officer – Sam Sheriff
Chief Strategy and Corporate Affairs Officer – Alastair Ruxton
Chief Technology Officer – Mark Smith
General Counsel – Harry Willits
Operations Director – Jenny Blogg
Operations – Transformation Director – Eddie Bennett
Technology – Transformation Director – Paul Lumb

Advisors to 4NL Executive team/3NL leadership representation to support transition and integration:

Camelot and 3NL Co-CEOs – Neil Brocklehurst, Clare Swindell

The leadership team includes new recruits: Andria Vidler, whose appointment was announced in July; Alan Artz, who joined Allwyn in this summer from William Hill; Chris Lyman who will move from his role as CEO of Lotto New Zealand back to the UK to join Allwyn in October; and Mark Smith, currently Group Chief Technology Officer at ITV who joins in November.

Current Camelot co-CEOs, Neil Brocklehurst and Clare Swindell, are supporting the handover to the incoming Allwyn UK CEO Andria Vidler before their departure.

Robert Chvàtal added: “I’d like to express my huge thanks to Clare, Neil and all the Camelot leadership team for their sterling work over many years supporting The National Lottery. The National Lottery makes a huge contribution to communities across the UK through the money it generates for Good Causes. They have a great deal to be proud of. I wish them all the very best for the future.”

Alona Shevtsova

Sends CEO Alona Shevtsova moderates Global Gaming Expansion panel in Riyadh

Published

44 minutes ago

June 25, 2026

Wladimir P.

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Alona Shevtsova, CEO of Sends, will moderate a panel at The Blockchain show on 29^th June, bringing together experts from entertainment, location-based gaming, and content localisation to examine what it takes to build sustainable gaming ecosystems across emerging markets.

The panel, titled “Global Gaming Expansion: Lessons from Untapped Markets,” will structure its discussion across four themes: the growth dynamics reshaping emerging gaming markets; the role of localisation in creating experiences that genuinely connect with new audiences; the infrastructure and communities needed to build gaming ecosystems beyond the game itself; and the lessons and opportunities that will define successful expansion in the years ahead.

Alona Shevtsova plans to frame the discussion around the central challenge for companies looking to expand globally: entering a new market requires far more than bringing an existing product to a new audience. Understanding local cultures, building communities, adapting experiences, and creating ecosystems that allow gaming to grow sustainably are all as important as the product itself.

Alona Shevtsova, CEO of Sends, said:

“The future growth of gaming will come not only from new technologies, but from understanding people — their cultures, communities, and the experiences they want to be part of. Successful expansion will belong to those who can combine global ambition with local understanding.”

The first segment will examine why regions including the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia are becoming increasingly significant for developers, operators, and investors — driven by young audiences, accelerating digital adoption, and new entertainment models creating substantial growth potential. Panellists will explore how consumer preferences differ across markets and what trends among younger audiences are shaping the future of gaming and entertainment.

The third segment will broaden the lens beyond the game itself, exploring the role of location-based entertainment, gaming centres, esports, and experiential destinations in attracting new audiences and building long-term communities. Panellists plan to address how entertainment ecosystems — spanning physical venues, events, and community infrastructure — accelerate gaming adoption in markets where the category is still establishing itself.

Earlier this month, Alona Shevtsova was shortlisted for the 2026 Great British Entrepreneur Awards in the Established Business of the Year category. Her team is also preparing for the Fintech Connect conference in London later this year. Sends will be a leading sponsor of this event.

*Sends is a trade name of SMARTFLOW PAYMENTS LIMITED, registered in England and Wales (Company No.11070048). For more information, visit sends.co .

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