Dutch National Lottery operator Nederlandse Loterij has named Arjan Blok as its next chief executive officer to replace Niels Onkenhout.
Blok has served as the lottery’s chief financial officer since November 2016 and will take over when Onkenhout’s term ends next September.
“On behalf of the Supervisory Board, I would first like to express my sincere appreciation to the Management Board of Nederlandse Loterij, with Niels Onkenhout as CEO and Arjan Blok as CFO,” said Nederlandse Loterij chairman Alexander Pechtold. “Over the past seven years, they have helped develop Nederlandse Loterij into a healthy home for strong gaming brands, where the interests of the player are always at the forefront through a distinctive responsible gaming policy and a growing contribution back to society.”
Onkenhou has been in charge of the lottery since its formation in 2016 through the merger of the Nederlandse Staatsloterij and De Lotto.
“In discussions about a successor to Niels, given the approaching end of his last term, Arjan emerged as the ideal candidate,” continued Pechtold. “Under Arjan’s leadership, after the merger in 2016, the organization became characterized by continuous positive financial results. He has also made a significant contribution to accelerating the digital transformation.
“As co-director, he has extensive knowledge of the organization and can ensure continuity in the company. We are confident that in time, with this new Executive Board – complemented by a newly recruited CFO – we will have a strong team in place to take Dutch Lottery to the next chapter.”