Tim Newing, IT Director of the Year in the 2005 Jaeger-LeCoultre Telegraph Business
Awards, is to leave Camelot Group plc, operator of the UK’s National Lottery, to join
easyJet.Tim joins easyJet as IT Director with effect from 21 August. He has played a major
role in the development of the National Lottery over a 10 year period, first as
technical manager for IT supplier GTECH UK before joining Camelot itself as Head of
Projects and Networks in December 2000, after the company was awarded the second
licence to operate the lottery.

He became IT director in March 2002 and oversaw a period of major technological
innovation for the lottery.

 

Massive projects to replace the entire network of over 26,000 terminals, and change
the hardware infrastructure and software that runs The National Lottery in Camelot’s
data centres were completed in January 2002 under Tim’s leadership. In 2003/04 the
entire network of National Lottery terminals in retail stores was moved over to ISDN
technology, rolling out Europe’s largest dedicated ISDN network delivered by the IT
team on time and on budget.

 

In 2003 the rollout of the National Lottery across interactive channels began.
Lottery games can now be played on the internet at www.national-lottery.co.uk, on digital TV through Sky Active and on mobile
phones via the Play by Text service. As a result, Camelot now operates the most
successful interactive lottery in the world, with sales in 2005/6 up 145.5 per cent
to £124.8 million.

 

Most recently, Tim’s team was responsible for the implementation and roll out of
National Lottery Fast Pay at Tesco stores. The service - a world first - enables
players to buy lottery tickets at the checkout with the rest of their shopping.

 

Tim said:

 

“I’ve had a fascinating and stimulating time at Camelot and it has been an enormous
pleasure to introduce so much innovation into the National Lottery. I hope I’ve
helped to put Camelot in a strong position as it prepares to bid for the third
lottery licence.

 

“But now it’s time for a new challenge, and I’m tremendously excited about joining
easyJet, one of the world’s most groundbreaking and innovative airlines.”

 

Andy Harrison, easyJet’s Chief Executive Officer, said:

 

“We are delighted to be welcoming Tim on board in August. Tim has a wide range of
experience across the IT spectrum and has played a major role in the development of
the National Lottery over the past 10 years. Our IT capability has always been a
critical part of our success and we look forward to welcoming someone of his
calibre.”

 

Dianne Thompson, Chief Executive of Camelot, said:

 

“During his time with us - both at GTECH and then Camelot - the National Lottery has
gone from strength to strength.  Tim can take a good deal of credit for the fact
that our players have enjoyed exceptionally high levels of service, even as the
company migrated from one game sold across a single channel to a portfolio of games
sold across six channels.

 

“Technology has enabled our contemporary success and on behalf of everyone at
Camelot, I thank Tim for his exceptional service to the company.”

——-