Incoming National Lottery operator, Allwyn UK, announced that Steve Parkinson has been appointed as its new Brand and Marketing Director.

Steve joins Allwyn from Bauer Media, where he held senior marketing and business leadership roles, including overseeing the growth and brand development of Kiss, Magic, Absolute Radio, Jazz FM, Planet Rock and more. He also has extensive experience in leading post-acquisition integrations. Most recently, Steve was head of Strategic Partnerships and Events for Bauer, where he was also the executive lead for its national charity, Cash for Kids.

Prior to this, Steve was Marketing and Brand Director at EMAP, where he managed a portfolio of consumer brands across multiple channels, as well as a roster of creative and media agencies. This followed almost a decade at Chrysalis plc where he held senior roles, including Managing Director and Marketing Director for the Heart, Galaxy and LBC brands, as well as the wider group. Steve brings with him a wealth of experience in transforming brands, with extensive knowledge of media partnerships and creative production in a constantly evolving media landscape.

Steve commented: “I’m delighted to be joining Allwyn at such an important time as we approach the start of the fourth National Lottery licence period. The National Lottery is a huge part of UK life and contributes so much to society through Good Causes funding – so to come on board at the very beginning of a new era, with a new operator, is incredibly exciting.”

Current incumbent Ivor Burns will be stepping down in April to take a well-deserved career break after 14 years with The National Lottery. Leading an award-winning team, he has made a fantastic contribution to The National Lottery, delivering highly effective integrated marketing campaigns with consumers and integrity at their core.

Allwyn’s Chief Commercial Officer Lucy Buckley, commented: “In Steve, we have appointed a proven marketing leader who has been integral to the development and growth of key media brands. We’re excited about what he can bring to Allwyn and The National Lottery, with his wealth of experience in senior marketing roles.

“We’re hugely grateful to Ivor for everything he’s done for The National Lottery and would like to thank him for his enormous contribution. We’ll continue to benefit from his expertise right up until April as he hands over the reins to Steve – but he leaves The National Lottery’s brands in great shape.”

Steve’s appointment comes as Allwyn looks to evolve The National Lottery over the next decade. This has already seen a number of key marketing and media agency appointments, with Hearts & Science taking on the role of media agency, and Leo Burnett and VCCP selected as joint creative advertising agencies. Together, they will help deliver Allwyn’s vision for the future: growing The National Lottery in a safe and responsible way by increasing its relevance and introducing its range of games to new audiences responsibly– enabling it to return even more money to Good Causes.