Pádraig Ó Ríordáin appointed chairman of National Lottery

Former DAA chairman takes over from Bogdan Cenanovic

Former DAA chairman Pádraig Ó Ríordáin has been appointed as chairman of the National Lottery.

Announcing his appointment, which is effective immediately, the operator of the National Lottery, Premier Lotteries Ireland (PLI), described Mr Ó Ríordáin as one of Ireland's leading corporate lawyers with extensive board and regulatory experience.

Mr Ó Ríordáin was a former managing partner of the legal firm Arthur Cox, and apart from his DAA role has served as a non-executive director of Paddy Power Betfair, and a non-executive director of TVC Holdings. He replaces current lottery chairman Bogdan Cenanovic.

Mr Ó Ríordáin will be joined on the National Lottery's board by CIÉ chairwoman Vivienne Jupp, who was also appointed as a non-executive director of the gaming franchise.

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In addition to these director appointments, current representatives from the Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan Board (OTPPB) and An Post, the National Lottery's owners, will remain on PLI's board.

“Good governance is fundamental to Premier Lotteries’ success,” outgoing chairman Mr Cenanovic said.

He said the new appointments further aligned PLI’s board with such best governance practices as diversity and having independent directors.

“Their wealth of experience will be invaluable in helping PLI achieve its goals of driving responsible growth and raising funds for good causes, building on the €5 billion of good causes raised to date since the lottery’s inception,” he said.

Eoin Burke-Kennedy

Eoin Burke-Kennedy

Eoin Burke-Kennedy is Economics Correspondent of The Irish Times