ZEAL Network has announced the planned departure of chairman Peter Steiner at the end of the company’s 2025 Annual General Meeting.

Steiner will be leaving the German lottery provider after 12 years on the board of directors, having initially served as chair of the operator’s audit committee before taking on the position of supervisory board chairman in 2017.

During his tenure at ZEAL, Steiner also served as chair of the supervisory board of ZEAL subsidiary Lotto24.

The board’s executive committee has already begun the search for a successor to Steiner.

The news of Steiner’s departure follows on from the passing of Frank Strauß, who passed away last week.

Strauß was a member of ZEAL’s board since June 2020 after a lengthy career in the FinTech industry.

The company’s board is taking steps to fill Strauß’s position until the election of new board members next year.

“We are shocked and deeply saddened by the untimely death of Frank Strauß,” said Steiner. “With his decades of management experience and his high level of commitment, he was a highly valued colleague, not only on the Supervisory Board. Our thoughts are with his wife, his children and his family.”

Helmut Becker, CEO of ZEAL, added: “Frank Strauß has made a significant contribution to ZEAL’s success over the past four years in his role as a member of the Supervisory Board.

“His advice, his ideas and his commitment will be missed by us, but also by me personally. We are very grateful for his work and pay tribute to him. Our deepest condolences go to his family.”