Veikkaus adds former IGT VP to board of directors in reshuffle
Department of Trust CEO Charles Cohen joins the Finnish operator alongside Martti Ala-Härkönen as three other board members depart
Veikkaus has added former IGT vice-president Charles Cohen to its board as a non-executive director as part of a raft of changes at the Finnish monopoly operator.
Cohen currently serves as CEO of financial KYC specialist Department of Trust, which he founded in 2021.
He was also an inaugural member of the Gambling Commission’s Industry Forum, which launched in March 2024.
In addition, Cohen works as an advisory board member at Games Global and has previously held a non-executive director role at fellow supplier Low6.
He served as vice-president for mobile and North America sports betting at IGT for nearly seven years between May 2014 and January 2021.
Cohen also spent 10 years as CEO of game developer Probability between February 2004 and May 2014, overseeing the company’s £18m sale to GTECH in 2014.
Writing about his new role on LinkedIn, Cohen said: “I’m honoured today to have been elected to the board of Veikkaus.
“I’ve long admired them from my days at IGT, in particular their deep commitment to responsible gambling, strong operational skills and creative flair.
“The next few years will be a chance to demonstrate that these are the qualities needed for a successful global business, not just a national champion.”
Cohen joins the Finnish operator’s board alongside Martti Ala-Härkönen, who currently serves as vice-chair for IT services firm Digia.
While Cohen and Ala-Härkönen are joining the board, Anne Larilahti, Juha Väre and Christian Cedercreutz have all announced their departure from the boardroom.
In addition to the appointments and departures, Veikkaus confirmed Kaisa Olkkonen will continue in her capacity as chair of the board, and Leena Vainiomäki will remain as vice-chair.
Minna Pajumaa, Ossi Lindroos and Katri Harra-Salonen will all continue to serve as members of the board following the reshuffle.
Olkkonen added: “Veikkaus’ board of directors is now strengthened with significant experience in the international money gaming industry and financial management.
“Veikkaus’ vision is to be a respected and successful international money gaming group by 2030.
“Ala-Härkönen and Cohen will bring us much-needed valuable experience to support Veikkaus’ transformation journey.”
The board updates come as Veikkaus prepares to shift from the monopoly model in Finland to the commercial arena, which is due to come into effect in January 2027.
Arnold Ash is EGR’s Executive Recruitment Partner. They support ambitious organisations to identify and attract industry leading executive talent. Find out more here.