Dutch Lottery appoints new CEO
Arjon Blok, the current chief financial officer of Dutch Lottery, has been announced as the successor to Niels Onkenhout as the new chief executive. Blok is set to assume his new role by September 1, 2024, as Onkenhout’s term as CEO comes to an end on that date.
Blok, who also serves as co-director of Dutch Lottery, has been with the organization since late 2016, initially taking on the CFO role on an interim basis before transitioning to full-time. Prior to his time at Dutch Lottery, Blok held senior positions at RWE, including CFO for the RWE Retail arm, as well as at Essent, NS Reizifers, and Nederlandse Staatsloterij, which later merged with De Lotto to form Dutch Lottery in 2016.
Notably, Onkenhout oversaw the merger shortly after becoming CEO of Dutch Lottery.
Alexander Pechtold, chair of Dutch Lottery, expressed his gratitude for Onkenhout and Blok’s contributions, recognizing their efforts in developing the organization’s strong gaming brands and prioritizing responsible gaming and societal contributions.
Pechtold also described Blok as the “ideal” candidate for the CEO role, emphasizing his leadership in achieving positive financial results after the 2016 merger and driving digital transformation. The organization now looks forward to forming a strong team with the new board of directors, including a new CFO to be recruited, to lead Dutch Lottery into its next chapter.
Following Blok’s promotion, Dutch Lottery will begin the search for a new CFO to fill the vacancy left by Blok’s transition to CEO.