Allwyn appoints Mark Hughes as chief security officer

Allwyn, the upcoming operator of the National Lottery, has on Wednesday announced the appointment of Mark Hughes as its new chief security officer.

Hughes, who will sit on Allwyn’s executive leadership team, will start at Allwyn on 15 January, ahead of 1 February when Allwyn will take over the operation of the National Lottery. His role will include information security, game platform security and physical security. 

Hughes joins from Smart DCC, the organisation responsible for the secure and interoperable communication network that supports the rollout of smart meters across the UK, where he was chief information security officer.

He previously spent 16 years at Vodafone, including 12 years as chief corporate security officer for its UK business. At Vodafone, he led its corporate security operations and security compliance programme, working extensively with the UK government and intelligence agencies in implementing security controls and best practice to ensure Vodafone met its obligations as a key provider of Critical National Infrastructure.  

“Preserving the security of the National Lottery at all times is of critical importance, including as we roll out our ambitious plans for the transformation of The National Lottery so that it becomes more modern, digital and engaging for players,” Andria Vidler, Allwyn’s UK chief executive, said.

“I’m delighted to welcome Mark to our team.”

Hughes said: “I’m thrilled to be joining Allwyn and being part of the next chapter in the journey of the National Lottery.  Working for an organisation that literally makes dreams come true and contributes to good causes is a huge privilege and I can’t wait to get started.”