Tom Sawyer

Deputy Executive Director of Sales, Virginia Lottery

Published August 19, 2025

Tom Sawyer leads a group of over 100 employees that work throughout the state of Virginia in eight sales territories. Each territory has an Area Manager, Sales Representatives, and Sales Merchandisers. He also manages the corporate accounts strategy, a new on-premise sales team, and a host of operational responsibilities in support of retail sales.

Tom is on the forefront of all the endless challenges and changes to the retail landscape. But it doesn’t stop there. Tom leads his team through continual assessments of best practices, efficiencies, and pilot programs, being pro-active and not just reactive. The sales team is a stable workforce – testament to the great workplace environment that he fosters – but it also brings challenges when long tenured team members retire. And Tom’s team has seen the most retirements of any department. Over half of the sales territory managers have been hired in the past three years, and he has created a new on-premise sales team to focus on expansion of retail activity. He also effectively collaborates with the Marketing & Communications and Customer Relations teams, as well as the key vendor partner, IGT. 

Tom has an infectious personality that makes work fun. His leadership includes his team fostering and executing an agency leadership development program called LEAD: Leaders for Excellence, Action, and Development. What started as a Sales-only program has blossomed into an agency-wide development program for front-line employees to prepare for career advancement opportunities. 

Tom also worked very closely with the Executive Director to understand the impact of gaming competition (electronic skill games) in stores, including timely assessments when retailers initiated a lottery sales boycott. He also ensures that the retail market supports iLottery activities wherever possible, linking in-store and online opportunities that benefit both the Lottery and its retailer partners. Tom helps his team cultivate strategies, messaging, and tactics to enable the team to achieve its sales goals. 

His team consistently achieves key metrics for new game distribution, activation, placement, and out-of-stock performance. He constantly strives to ensure his teams are engaged, informed, and empowered to excel – which ensures that the Virginia Lottery excels. The Lottery is fortunate to have had Tom as a member of the team, in various roles, for over 19 years. His influence is no more apparent than at the annual sales conference, where the entire team celebrates the successes of one another with true pride.