OPAP SA has announced the permanent appointment of Jan Karas as a new executive member of the company’s Board of Directors and CEO, effective from January 1, 2021.
Karas stepped in as interim CEO in June following the departure of Damian Cope after four years in charge, and had previously served as the Greek lottery and sports betting operator’s chief commercial officer.
Kamil Ziegler, Executive Chairman of OPAP, said: “On behalf of the Board of Directors I would like to congratulate Jan Karas for assuming the CEO role.
“During the past period, Jan had been serving as OPAP’s Acting CEO, contributing significantly to the company’s business initiatives and response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the impact of the relevant restrictive measures.
“We are looking forward to continue working with him, in his new capacity, in order to implement OPAP’s strategic objectives and address the challenges related to the recovery from the pandemic crisis and I am confident that with the support of all of us, Jan and OPAP’s highly qualified top management team together with all our esteemed colleagues will continue delivering long-term value for the company’s shareholders, people, partners and all other stakeholders.”
Last month, OPAP announced it had recorded a stable Q3 2020 trading period, but lottery network declines continue to hamper its COVID recovery.