After 34 years at the helm of Merkur Dosniha, founder and CEO Carlos Chacón will step down from the management with effect from 1 February. He will be succeeded by Lara Knuchel (COO) and Juanjo Mayol (CFO), who will assume joint responsibility for the operational management of the Merkur Group’s Spanish subsidiary, while Sascha Blodau will take over Carlos Chacón’s seat on the Board of Directors.
“For more than three decades, Carlos Chacón has played a key role in shaping the development of Merkur Dosniha, successfully building and advancing the company in a dynamic market environment with exceptional commitment, entrepreneurial foresight and great passion,” stated Dominik Raasch, Management Board Member for Merkur Games at Merkur.com AG.
“I would like to thank him sincerely for his achievements and for the close, trusting collaboration, and I am delighted that he will remain associated with the team as a strategic advisor.”
“I look at this new chapter in my life with mixed feelings. What I can say with certainty is that the company is in excellent hands with Lara Knuchel, Juanjo Mayol, and Sascha Blodau. I am convinced that Merkur Dosniha will continue on its successful path,” said Carlos Chacón.
As part of the reorganisation, responsibility for management will lie with Lara Knuchel and Juanjo Mayol in the future. Both bring more than ten years of experience at Merkur Dosniha and will continue in their current roles.
At the same time, Blodau will assume Chacón’s seat on the Board of Directors. In this capacity, he will particularly support the new management in implementing the group-wide expansion strategy as well as in product and development initiatives. His responsibilities as General Manager UK of the Merkur Group remain unaffected.
“Both Lara Knuchel and Juanjo Mayol have years of experience with the company and are experts in their fields. They stand for continuity, management expertise and a strong connection to Merkur Dosniha,” added Dominik Raasch.
“Sascha Blodau has been instrumental in driving the company’s development in the UK market and has made Merkur a benchmark within the industry. I wish all three of them every success in their roles and am confident that they will successfully lead and further develop the company.”
In a statement, Merkur further expressed confidence in the new leadership, while describing Spain as “an extremely important market” with a wide range of opportunities. “While competition there is intense, they are looking forward to continuing Merkur Dosniha’s success story together,” the company said of the incoming leadership.
Merkur Dosniha, headquartered in Palma de Mallorca, is Merkur Group’s Spanish subsidiary and distributes the group’s gaming machines and games on the Iberian Peninsula. It also operates sales offices in Murcia, Barcelona, and Madrid, as well as a logistics centre in Murcia (Alhama).
Original article: https://www.yogonet.com/international/news/2026/02/02/117385-merkur-dosniha-founder-carlos-chacon-steps-down-leadership-transition-announced
