Sazka Group taps ex-Sainsbury’s CEO for National Lottery bid
Justin King to assume advisory role to Sazka Group’s bid chair Sir Keith Mills with specific focus on retail strategy
Czech gambling giant Sazka Group has appointed former Sainsbury’s CEO Justin King as the first member of an advisory board to provide support for its National Lottery licence bid.
King and the rest of the advisory board will provide counsel to bid chair Sir Keith Mills and his team as they look to secure the UK tender licence for Sazka in 2023.
Specifically, King will work on the group’s retail strategy and how to use the National Lottery to play an “integral role in the revitalisation of the high street” in a post-Covid world.
If Sazka takes over the licence from incumbent Camelot, King would retain a role with the group in leading the transition team.
King’s wealth of retail experience, which includes senior roles at Asda and Marks & Spencer, culminated in his position as CEO of Sainsbury’s, where he oversaw 36 quarters of consecutive sales and profit growth.
Speaking on King’s arrival, Mills said: “With Justin onboard, we will present a plan that modernises retail channels to ensure that not a single National Lottery player or retailer is left behind.
“Justin’s experience will also be of huge benefit for our transition plans which must be submitted to the Gambling Commission as part of our bid,” he added.
King commented: “Getting people back to their local high street post Covid-19 requires fresh thinking, an innovative approach and recognition that the National Lottery can play an integral role in that recovery.
“We need to revitalise this precious institution by bringing back those customers that have stopped playing, while making it relevant and exciting for new audiences too.
“A vibrant and growing lottery is the only way to guarantee more funding for good causes, which is crucial for helping Britain to build back better,” he added.