Restrictive rules 'need limits'

Red tape is threatening to suffocate business, says Ms Thompson

Dianne Thompson joined National Lottery operator Camelot from Signet in 1997.

As commercial operations director she helped manage and develop the business, before becoming the first female executive to join the group's board when she was named chief executive in 2000.

That year she was named Veuve Cliquot 'Business Woman of the Year 2000' and a year later she was also voted 'Marketeer of the Year 2001' by The Marketing Society.

What was your first car?

My first car was a yellow Vauxhall Viva, bought second hand.

I was not really into cars at that stage and am still not really, although I do like the SLK I currently drive.

I was very upset when my yellow Viva had to go to the scrap heap.

What was your first job?

My very first job was working at Fox's Biscuit Factory in Batley, West Yorkshire as a Saturday girl.

I was on one of the packing lines and became a dab hand at packing custard creams. I really cannot remember how much I got paid for that.

My first full time job was at Co-operative Wholesale Society as a marketing trainee and I do remember earning the princely sum of £3,200 a year.

What was your first house?

It was a three-bedroom semi in Hazel Grove, Stockport, which cost £8,585. We lived there for three years and I have some extremely happy memories of our times there.

Who is your biggest inspiration?

Without a doubt it has to be my parents.

I was lucky to be born the only child of a very loving and very normal working class family who had a terrific work ethic.

Add to that the very Yorkshire qualities of fair play and straight talking and I had the greatest start in life. I owe my parents everything.

What's the best bit of business advice you've had?

Again, I learnt this from my parents, who taught me that hard work and honesty are two of the most important things to have a happy and fulfilled life.

After that, make sure you are totally committed to whatever you do.

And both professionally and personally, always have the courage of your convictions.

What's the biggest challenge facing business now?

Pension provision is still a major issue - and a big problem.

At Camelot we have always had a defined contribution scheme for all employees who wish to enter it. This means that the benefits payable to pension scheme on retirement or death is based on the value of the employee's personal fund at the time.

But there has been much media coverage on the problems that some companies have had in fulfilling their obligations, particularly in terms of final salary schemes.

It is not yet very clear to me how the final-salary pension problem will be resolved in the long term.

What can the government do to boost business?

We have far too many laws, far too many regulators and far too much red tape.

Governments of all colours and at all levels really do have to learn to stop churning out quite so much legislation, and so does the European Union.

This is not just a problem for business, although operating in a highly restricted and heavily regulated business like The National Lottery - Camelot has over 2,000 individual licence obligations enforced by its own single-purpose regulator - certainly sheds some light on the wider problem.

But it is my personal view that too many laws and regulations can also damage society.

I think we now have more laws than we can practically enforce, which does very little for public confidence in our political institutions.

We also have more regulation than is healthy for what is supposed to be an entrepreneurial society, making individuals and businesses more and more risk-averse.

I do not advocate a free-for-all, but I do think that there is a finite limit on how much legislation and regulation any society - let alone any economy - can take. I believe we have reached that limit.

What business story grabbed your attention in 2004?

I think the biggest story on 2004 had to be Philip Green's attempt to take over Marks & Spencer.

M&S is still very topical, not least as Stuart Rose and his team attempt to restore what remains a hugely strong brand.

The early signs are very encouraging and I think that M&S may well have a good Christmas.

In many ways it reminds me of where Camelot was about three years ago when so many people felt that we wouldn't be able to turn sales around. We did it, and I am quite sure Stuart and his team can do it, too.

I also think the turnaround challenge of Justin King and his team at Sainsbury's is one to watch in 2005. Justin is a very serious player and if anyone can do it, he can.

What was the proudest moment of your career?

Helping Camelot win the second lottery licence in 2000 comes top of my list - it was great to be involved in securing the future of a company and the 800 people working here.

But getting The National Lottery back into growth and boosting its returns to the Good Causes comes a very close second.

We are enjoying our longest period of growth since 1997, bucking an international trend and delivering something that most people said simply could not be done.

I am especially pleased that we did it the right way - which happened to be the hard way.

There were quick fixes that would deliver short term gains but which risked damaging the lottery's long term health - so no big price rise and no launching the main Lotto game six days a week.

Instead we ended up doing 100 things one per cent better, not one thing 100% better - all delivered by the sheer hard work of the Camelot team.

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Camelot Group - operator of The National Lottery - is a private company which is wholly owned by five shareholders: Cadbury Schweppes, Royal Mail Enterprises, De La Rue, Fujitsu Services and Thales Electronics.

In the six months to September 2004, lottery ticket sales grew 4.7% - or more than £100m - with total weekly sales hitting £90m.

The group has recently celebrated its 10th anniversary, and will retain the lottery licence until January 2009.