Allwyn UK Scraps CTO Role in Digital Leadership Overhaul

The changes come after a major overhaul of the lottery’s infrastructure. Allwyn now wants to turn that investment into stronger growth, improved customer experience and higher returns for Good Causes.

Three Executive Roles Are Going

The November 5 announcement outlines changes affecting three senior executives:

• Mark Smith, Chief Technology Officer – leaves his current role but stays as Technology Strategy Adviser until June 2027;
• Richard Dawkins, Managing Director, Digital – due to leave in December 2026;
• Sarah Venning, Chief Strategy & Transformation Officer – leaves at the end of November 2026.

Their responsibilities will not all pass to a single successor.

The new Chief Digital Officer (CDO) will oversee digital products and channels, customer experience, technology, data, platforms, automation and AI. The role will also carry responsibility for the commercial performance of digital operations. Some technology functions will sit within Retail and Security, while responsibility for overall business strategy moves to interim CEO Phil Walker.

Walker said the reorganisation would help create "much clearer accountability for performance."

Stephen Taylor joins on November 17 as interim Chief Marketing Officer. His remit includes marketing, communications and CRM. Alastair Ruxton, the current Chief Impact Officer, is moving to a social impact role.

Group Technology Leadership Stays in Place

The change applies to Allwyn UK’s executive team. The parent group welcomed Fredrik Ögren as Group CTO in October, retaining separate technology leadership at group level.

That leaves two separate arrangements: group-level technology leadership and a UK digital division with commercial responsibility built into its remit. Allwyn has yet to name the UK CDO or explain the reporting relationship with the group technology team.

The reshuffle also comes against weaker National Lottery sales. In a November 5 report, 15M examined the £388.3 million due to Good Causes for July-September 2026. Regular contributions accounted for £336.9 million of that total.

The company has not connected those figures to the departures. It has also announced no changes to existing technology supplier contracts or integrations.

The revised executive structure starts on December 1, 2026.