Lynn Roiter, the current CEO of Loto-Quebec, is expected to step down from her position on 1 June, paving the way for Jean-Francois Bergeron to take the reins.
On 1 June 2021, Loto-Quebec will be saying farewell to its long-standing CEO and president, Lynn Roiter. Roiter is retiring after a successful 35-year long career at the Crown corporation. As the first female at its head, Roiter led the company through financial crises and the ongoing pandemic.
End of an Era
Roiter started working at the company in 1986 as the Director of Legal Affairs and later rose to the position of Vice-President of Legal. On 31 May 2017, Roiter was made the company CEO and President, following the untimely death of Simon Patenaude.
As Roiter officially steps down at the end of May, she is expected to receive a sizeable retirement bonus. The gambling regulator will pay her a CA$430,000 severance package since she is entitled to the same retirement packages as senior government officials.
The Crown corporation has additionally announced that it has chosen a successor CEO. The new head of the company will be Jean-François Bergeron, who has plenty of experience from his days as the CEO of Société Québécoise du Cannabis. Bergeron will take over the company starting on 1 June and will have the arduous task of managing the corporation away from the recent financial obstacles.
Bergeron will be heading the agency during one of its most turbulent financial crises. Most of the corporation’s gambling venues have been severely affected by the ongoing pandemic and the lockdown restrictions. In October 2020, the company reported that its revenue plummeted by 75 per cent.
No Solution
In April, Loto-Québec issued a statement regarding the fight against alleged unlawful activities at the province’s casinos. The Crown corporation noted that it is helpless against the money laundering activities as it cannot turn away dubious individuals from its gaming properties. New measures are now being considered, including a compulsory declaration of any large cash transactions.
