Lena Benel

Project Manager, Aristocrat Interactive

Published August 19, 2025

Nominated by the Virginia Lottery

Lena Benel is a consummate professional. She is engaged, responsive, knowledgeable, and effective in the projects she manages. Her attention to detail is exceptional, while always keeping the vision of the bigger picture in sight. She is patient and driven at the same time, and the Virginia Lottery team always know that when she is involved, the project will get done successfully. She delivers on the “Trust – Accountability – Team” core pillars, every day.

Lena’s responsiveness, coupled with her creative troubleshooting and technical knowledge, makes her such an asset to the Virginia Lottery team. Whether working on game initiatives or helping to implement responsible gaming requirements, Lena is always ready and willing to support all areas of the business to ensure success!

Examples include her work with Voluntary Exclusion Program enhancements and multiple digital game promotions that include coordination with third party gaming studios.

She has been instrumental in preparing, planning, and building the team that will lead the transition of Virginia’s NPi ICS vendor to a new one. The coordination, communication, and positive energy she exudes for every effort makes her a pleasure to work alongside.

She has been an incredible contributor to the success of Virginia’s growing iLottery program. Her dedication to maintaining a schedule and keeping projects moving through challenges and roadblocks is astounding. Even with the time zone difference, she always makes herself available to get the job done. One particular situation included meeting with the NPi team the night prior to a roadmap session at the Virginia Lottery headquarters. While everyone else was socializing, she was at a nearby table working with developers online to keep a project moving so it stayed on track. This dedication is further exemplified by her continued work, even during times of conflict and uncertainty in Israel. That type of dedication is extremely rare and should be commended.