Board of Directors

Jan Karas was appointed OPAP’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and executive member of the Board Directors in December 2020, after successfully serving the company for nearly seven years, from various senior roles. In October 2024 he was also appointed as Chairman of the company’s Board of Directors.  He joined OPAP in January 2014 and during his tenure with the company, he has led the operations, development and modernization of the company’s retail and indirect sales networks, overseeing activities related to sales, retail marketing, customer and partner support. Moreover, he has also been in charge of the operation and management of OPAP’s gaming and non‐gaming commercial activities, across all retail and online channels, and contributed significantly to OPAP’s initiatives and response to the coronavirus (COVID‐19) pandemic.
Overall, Jan has a proven track record in delivering strong business results, as well as broad professional experience in developing solid commercial strategies and implementing successful retail and sales development programs. Before joining OPAP, he held several high‐ranking positions in Marketing, Sales and Product Development in the Telecommunications sector, in the Czech Republic and Germany. Throughout his career, Jan has been focused on pursuing and following a customer‐centric mindset, promoting positive change and developing high‐performing and cross‐functional teams.

Mr. Šaroch graduated from the University of Economics, Prague. Having specialized in investment banking and economic management of corporations since 1995, he has served in management positions with securities trading firms such as Ballmaier & Schultz CZ and Prague Securities. From 1999 to 2001, he was Member of the Board of Directors at I.F.B., which focuses on organizational and economic consultancy and management of private investment projects. In 2001, he was appointed Deputy Chairman of the Supervisory Board of ATLANTIK finanční trhy and subsequently became a member of the company‘s Board of Directors. Mr. Šaroch is a member of the Boards of Directors of the parent company of KKCG investment group KKCG AG and of individual holding companies that belong to the Group. In KKCG a.s. he represents the position of the Chief Investment Officer. Moreover, he is a member of the board of directors of SAZKA Group a.s. and its subsidiaries.

Ms. Chiomento has a dynamic leadership career combining astute strategic, corporate governance, financial, operational, and people skills with approximately three decades of international exposure in Asia, the Americas, and Europe. A rich mix of experience in public accounting/audit, consulting, corporate governance, risk management, process and control systems, information systems security, and finance for businesses in global and national environments. Her broad and extensive experience includes being a Partner at EY (Ernst & Young, one of the Big Four accounting organizations and a multinational professional services network of firms,) and a Corporate Finance Leader at Roche (a Swiss multinational healthcare company) and at SITA (a multinational information technology company). She graduated from the University of the Philippines Diliman with a B.S. in Business Administration and Accountancy and qualified as a certified public accountant. Also qualified as a certified information systems auditor in New York, USA. She completed the EY Executive Partnership Program at the Institute for Management Development (IMD) in Lausanne, Switzerland and the Advanced Management Program (AMP) at Harvard Business School Boston, USA. In June 2022 Mrs. Chiomento was elected as Independent Non-Executive Member of OPAP’s Board of Directors and appointed as Chair of the Audit Committee. As of October 2024, she also serves as B’ Vice-Chair of the company’s Board of Directors

Mr. Pavel Mucha has officially assumed his role as Chief Financial Officer at OPAP, on 1st of October 2019. Prior to OPAP he had 26 years of professional experience. Having graduated from University of Economics and Business in Prague in 1992, he started his career as tax consultant (Price Waterhouse), and later he held various finance and CFO positions in pharmaceutical (Wyeth Whitehall in Czech and Slovakia) and FMCG companies (Rothmans/BAT in the UK, Cyprus and Czech and in Stock Spirits Group in Czech and Slovakia). Before joining OPAP he held the position of Chief Financial Officer at Sazka, the national lottery operator of the Czech Republic, which is a member of SAZKA Group.

Born in Ceska Lipa in the Czech Republic. In 1984 Mr. Ziegler graduated from the University of Economics, Faculty of Trade, in Prague. In 1996 he graduated from the Southern Graduate School of Banking at the Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas. He began his professional career at the State Bank of Czechoslovakia where he served in different managerial positions: he worked as an Executive Director for Finance at Komercni banka, Prague, and then as a deputy CEO and Board member at Czech Savings Bank. Thereafter, he was appointed Chairman of the Board and CEO in the Czech state‐owned Consolidation Bank. After that he served as Chairman of the Board and CEO in Raiffeisenbank Czech Republic. He also held the position of Executive Director for Finance and Board Member in the PPF Group. His last executive appointment was as the CEO and proxy holder in SAZKA A.S., the largest Czech lottery organisation, where he is currently serving as a Board member. Mr. Ziegler has been also a member of the Board of Directors and member of Supervisory Boards of many companies in the Czech Republic, Netherlands, Cyprus and Austria. He served as Executive Chairman of OPAP’s Board of Directors from 2013 to September 2024, while he also held the position of CEO during 2013-2016. In October 2024 he was appointed Executive Member of the Board of Directors and Advisor to the Chairman and CEO on corporate affairs and strategy.

Born in 1968, Mr. Chvátal graduated from Prague School of Economics studying Business Administration. He began his professional career in 1991 with Procter & Gamble and Benckiser before spending 15 years in mobile telecommunications as Chief Marketing Officer for T‐Mobile Czech, and later as CEO of T‐Mobile Slovakia and T‐ Mobile Austria.
Since 2013, he joined lottery sector by being appointed the CEO and a member of the BoD of Sazka a.s., which, following a turnaround, has become one of the fastest growing lottery companies globally. In 2017 Mr. Chvátal was appointed as CEO of SAZKA Group, while since the same year he serves as an OPAP Board Director. Mr. Chvátal has also been elected since 2015 as the 1st Vice‐President of the European Lotteries and Executive Committee member of Eurojackpot - pan European jackpot scheme.

Mrs. Kohlmayer had been a senior investment banker with experience in corporate finance, reporting & accounting, international M&A, equity & debt capital markets and bank financing transactions. Her previous professional roles include managing director’s positions in London & Moscow, at Morgan Stanley and VTB Capital.
As of 2014, she serves as Board Director and CFO at KKCG, one of the largest Czech‐led private investment group, active in 4 main investment areas: lotteries & gaming, oil & gas & chemicals, technology and real estate. During her professional career, she has specialized in M&A transactions and capital markets in Central and Eastern European countries, Russia and CIS. Mrs. Kohlmayer has masters’ degree from University of Economics in Bratislava and MBA from Harvard University.

Prof. Conrad‐Forker is an Attorney at Law. She has experience in audit and corporate governance related issues as a professor, advisor and project leader. She holds a Doctorate from the Faculty of Economics of the University of Kassel, Germany. She has strong business acumen and deep understanding of financial / accounting related issues, while her legal perspective is an added value resulting to a ‘holistic’ approach of corporate governance aspects. Her professional experience includes being Board Member and Partner at ATAG Attorneys Ltd., Basel; Foreign Trade Advisor to the Kassel/Marburg Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Professor at Economic Faculty at Mainz University and ZHAW School of Management and Law in Zurich and Representative of the City of Zurich as majority shareholder on the Board of Directors of a Swiss energy supply company.

Dr Igor Rusek graduated from the Faculty of Law at the University of Basel, Switzerland, where he undertook post‐graduate studies in international private law. He has served for many years as a member of Boards of Directors of various international groups of companies and has managed for two decades in this capacity the organisation of internal audits, accounting standards and corporate governance under applicable international standards. From 1994 to 2001, he was Associate Attorney at ATAG Ernst & Young, auditing and consulting firm in Basel. In 2001 he was appointed Partner and Member of Executive Committee at ATAG Private & Corporate Services Ltd (ATAG PCS).

During his role as CEO of ATAG PCS from 2007 – 2018 Dr. Rusek also had the Chair of the Compliance Audit Team and was mainly responsible for Audit and Tax Audit Procedures in companies which are administrated by ATAG PCS, as well as their Corporate Governance.

Meanwhile Dr Rusek is the Chairman of the Board of Directors and partner of ATAG Attorneys Ltd, a law firm which roots reach back to 1917 founded ATAG, a leading Swiss advisory company, whereas his responsibility for ATAG PCS’s Audit and Tax Procedures remains unchanged.

Born in Athens. Completed his high school studies in 1974. Graduated from the Law School of National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. Master’s in information law and the Technique of Legislation from the Law School of University of Salento (Italy). PhD in Public Law from the Law School of Demokrition University of Thrace. Certificate of Attendance in Commercial law from International Academy of Law in Hague.

As an Attorney at Law, member of Athens Bar Association since 1981, practicing energy law, environmental law, corporate law and public procurement law. Managing Partner at THV Law (www. thvlaw.com)

Associate Professor at International Hellenic University in energy and hydrocarbons law, energy policy and regulation, cross-border energy trade. Visiting Professor in Hydrocarbons law (2016-19) at Exeter University (School of Law). Former Vice Chairman at Regulatory Authority for Energy (2005-10). Member of the Board at National Energy Council (2006-09). Member of the Board at Industrial Property Organization (2005-06). Member of the Committee of the Open-Door Invitation for granting and using authorizations for the exploration and exploitation of hydrocarbons (2012-13). Lecturer in many conferences in Greece and abroad on energy issues. Author of many monographies and publications on energy, regulation, energy policy and public procurement.

George Mantakas was born in 1959 in Athens. He graduated (summa cum laude) from the Athens University of Economics in 1981 and continued with his Master’s degree and his PhD in Economics (1987) at the University of Rochester, New York.

Early in his professional career he has worked as an economist at the Antitrust Division of the U.S. Department of Justice. After returning to Greece and serving his military service, he had two years of teaching and research experience in the University of Macedonia, then joined Ionian Bank and held the position of assistant Director in the section of special projects, international business planning, and new product design. In year 1998, he joined Piraeus Bank and headed the business planning section of the Bank, while in 2000 he assumed the position of the Director of the International Banking Division responsible for the Int’l network of the Bank and Correspondent Banking. In 2011 assumed the position of the Chief Risk Officer of Piraeus Bank Group until the end of 2017.

During the years after 2017, George Mantakas has worked as an independent senior business and banking advisor, participating in various projects in the sectors of banking, and other sectors, while the last two years executes various management projects and cooperates with Ballian Techniki SA. Furthermore, he is a member of the BoD of “Greek Yellow Pages SA”.

During his career he has served as a member of Boards of Directors of Subsidiaries of Piraeus Bank and various Management Committees in the banks he has worked.

He is married with 2 children.