Katja Diemer has been named the new Managing Director of the German Postcode Lottery.
She has been promoted internally after eight years with the lottery, most recently filling the role of Head of Charities. Her old position will be filled by another internal hire, Meira Schmidt, moving up from Deputy Head of Charities.
“Katja has played a decisive role in shaping the development of the Postcode Lottery,” a statement read. “She has initiated change, brought people together and, most recently, as Head of Charities, accompanied our funding partners with great appreciation and foresight.
“The focus is always on what makes us special as a social lottery: making a difference together for people and nature and contributing to a healthier, greener and fairer world.”
Schmidt, meanwhile, “knows the cooperation with our funding partners very well”, the lottery added.
“We are very pleased that we can fill these two important positions from our own ranks.
“Dear Katja, dear Meira, we wish you every success in your new roles and look forward to many more milestones together.”
The German Postcode Lottery is owned by the Dutch Postcode Lottery Group, the same company that operates the UK’s People Postcode Lottery.
It was launched in 2016, making Germany the fourth country where the group launched, following the Netherlands (1989), the UK (2005), and Sweden (2005).
The Dutch iteration has recently faced scrutiny, however, particularly around the marketing strategies it uses where it sends promotional material to non-players living in the same area as lottery draw winners.
The issue was raised by an influencer in the Netherlands, who managed to collect enough signatures that the petition to rethink the rules around lottery marketing was picked up by the Standing Committee on Justice and Security.
Relevant changes will be proposed at a Dutch Parliament hearing on 18 January, 2027.
