Board of directors
Groups
Board Members
Alison Platt
Non-Executive Chair
Appointed to the Board:
February 2024
Skills, competence and experience:
Alison has extensive leadership experience across both private and listed companies in the
healthcare, financial services, retail and property, and regulated sectors. Alison was CEO of
Countrywide from 2014 – 2018 and prior to that she held several senior roles at BUPA, including
as Managing Director of its International Development Markets business. She was previously a
Non-executive director of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Chair of Dechra Pharmaceuticals
plc, a member of Hampton-Alexander review steering group advising on diversity and inclusion and
Chair of Opportunity Now.
Committee membership:
Nomination and Governance Committee (Chair)
Other current appointments:
Non-Executive Director and Chair of Remuneration Committee at Tesco plc
Non-executive director of Inchcape plc
Non-executive director of Spectrum Wellness Holdings Limited
Chair of Ageas (UK) Limited
Dan Olley
Chief Executive Officer
Appointed to the Board:
June 2019
Chief Executive Officer since August 2023 (Independent Non-Executive Director June 2019 –
August 2023)
Skills, competence and experience:
Prior to his appointment as Chief Executive Officer, Dan was CEO of dunnhumby Ltd from
January 2022. Dan joined HL as a seasoned and experienced senior technology leader and has a
track record of driving digital transformations in established businesses, including financial
services, insurance, business information solutions, research, and healthcare. Dan brings a
problem solving and analytical skillset, along with experience of successfully implementing
advanced technologies to drive both revenue growth and operational process efficiency and
optimisation. During his tenure as an Independent Non-Executive Director of HL, Dan was a Member
of the Risk and Remuneration Committees.
Committee membership:
None
Other current appointments:
None
Amy Stirling
Chief Financial Officer
Appointed to the Board:
February 2022
Skills, competence and experience:
Amy has significant financial and strategic leadership experience in client facing
businesses across the
telecommunications and financial services sectors. She has considerable transformation and M&A
experience at both executive and non-executive level
and is a qualified chartered accountant. Amy was previously Chief Financial Officer of the
Virgin Group
and other previous appointments include non-executive
director and chair of the Audit Committee at RIT Capital
Partners plc, non-executive director at Virgin Money UK plc, Chief Financial Officer of The
Princes Trust and Chief Financial Officer at TalkTalk Telecom Group Plc.
Committee membership:
None
Other current appointments:
Trustee of HL Foundation
Non-Executive Director of Next plc
John Troiano
Independent Non-Executive Director
Appointed to the Board:
January 2020
Skills, competence and experience:
John has significant investment and asset management
experience. John has spent 38 years at Schroders in a wide range of roles including investment
research and analysis, fund management, and has worked across
both retail and institutional channels. Most recently, as Head of Distribution, he was
responsible for the design and implementation of business strategy globally and the oversight of
sales and client service activities.
Committee membership:
Risk Committee
Audit Committee
Remuneration Committee
Nomination and Governance Committee
Other current appointments:
Independent Non-Executive Director of Hargreaves Lansdown Fund Managers Ltd
Andrea Blance
Independent Non-Executive Director
Appointed to the Board:
September 2020
Skills, competence and experience:
Andrea is a qualified accountant and brings extensive Board and financial services
experience having spent her executive career at Legal & General Group plc where she was a member
of the Group Executive Committee and held a diverse range of senior leadership roles including
finance, risk and regulation, marketing, and strategy. Andrea’s past non-executive roles include
Risk Committee Chair at Scottish Widows plc and Lloyds Banking Group Insurance Division, Senior
Independent Director and Audit Committee Chair at ReAssure Group plc, Senior Independent
Director of Vanquis Banking Group plc and a member of William & Glyn’s pre-IPO board.
Committee membership:
Risk Committee (Chair)
Audit Committee
Nomination and Governance Committee
Other current appointments:
Non-Executive Director and Chair of the Board Risk Committee at Aviva plc
Adrian Collins
Non-Independent Non-Executive Director
Appointed to the Board:
November 2020
Skills, competence and experience:
Adrian has worked in the fund management business for over 50 years, most recently at
Liontrust Asset Management where he served as Executive Chairman from 2009 to 2019. During this
period, Adrian oversaw a transformation in the business, broadening its investment and
distribution capabilities and undertaking numerous acquisitions. Adrian has extensive experience
across fund management and adjacent sectors having held senior roles at Gartmore, where he was
Managing Director, Trustnet (which he co-founded), Jupiter,
Bestinvest and Lazard Investors. He is an experienced non-executive director.
Adrian has been appointed to the Board as a
shareholder representative and as such is not deemed
to be independent.
Committee membership:
None
Other current appointments:
Chairman of Logistics Development Group plc (formerly Eddie Stobart Logistics plc)
Non-Executive Chairman of LSL Property Services
Penny James
Senior Independent Director
Appointed to the Board:
September 2021
Skills, competence and experience:
Penny brings extensive financial services experience with strong leadership skills,
financial and risk expertise, strategic thinking and cultural alignment. Penny was previously
Chief Financial Officer then Chief Executive Officer of Direct Line Insurance Group plc. Prior
to this she has held a number of roles including Group Chief Risk Officer and Director of Group
Finance at Prudential plc, Group CFO at Omega Insurance Holdings Limited, and CFO of UK General
Insurance, at Zurich Financial Services. Penny was previously a non-executive director of
Admiral Group plc from 2015 to 2017.
Committee membership:
Nomination and Governance Committee
Risk Committee
Other current appointments:
Co-Chair of the FTSE Women Leaders Review
Non-Executive Director of QBE Insurance Group Limited
Non-Executive Director of Mitie Group plc
Non-Executive Director of Vitality Life Ltd
Non-Executive Director of Vitality Health Ltd
Darren Pope
Independent Non-Executive Director
Appointed to the Board:
September 2022
Skills, competence and experience:
Darren has considerable and extensive experience within the retail banking and financial
services sectors where he held senior and Board level positions. Previously he has served as SID and Chair of Audit Committee with Equiniti plc and Network International plc. He has also previously been Non-Executive Director and Remuneration Committee Chair of Virgin Money plc and the Non-Executive Chairman of HSBC Innovation Banking. Throughout his career, Darren held several executive banking and finance roles at Lloyds Banking Group and was the CFO of TSB Bank plc.
Committee membership:
Audit Committee (Chair)
Nomination and Governance Committee
Remuneration Committee
Risk Committee
Other current appointments:
Non-Executive Director of Starling Bank Ltd
Michael Morley
Independent Non-Executive Director
Appointed to the Board:
August 2023
Skills, competence and experience:
Michael has over 30 years of executive and board experience in international financial
services with in-depth knowledge of private banking and wealth management markets around the
world. He was previously CEO of Coutts and of Deutsche Bank’s UK wealth management arm, and
Chair of RBS International.
Committee membership:
Remuneration Committee
Risk Committee
Nomination and Governance Committee
Other current appointments:
Non-Executive Director of Deutsche Bank SAEU (Spain)
Non-Executive Director of Deutsche Bank SA (Switzerland)
Senior Independent Director of Personal Investment Management and Financial Advice
Association (PIMFA)
Deputy Chair of Centre for Mental Health
Board Diversity
Lord Davies' Women on Boards Review (published in February 2011) recommended that Chairmen of FTSE 350 companies should ensure that their boards discuss the subject of female representation on their Board, and set out their position.
The Board of Hargreaves Lansdown plc is committed to maintaining the highest standards of corporate governance. We regard the composition and the effectiveness of our Board as a crucial element of our corporate governance. A copy of our Board Diversity Policy can be found here.
When assessing new appointments to our Board, we review carefully the combined skills and experience of the existing Board members to determine what characteristics we are looking for from a new director. Each member of the Hargreaves Lansdown Board must have the skills, experience and character that will enable each director to contribute both individually, and as part of the team, to the effectiveness of the Board and the success of the Company. We believe that diversity amongst Board members is of great value but that diversity is a far wider subject than just gender, and we remain committed to inclusion in all its forms.
We have an approach in place to increase the diversity within the colleague population working in senior management positions, as well as to ensure that high-potential and high-performing candidates in less senior roles have the opportunities needed to ensure progression occurs.
As of today, the Board numbers 9 in total, comprising 2 executive directors and 7 non-executive directors of which 6 are independent (including the Chair). Women directors constitute 44% of the Board. At present the Board does not meet the Parker Review recommendation for FTSE100 Boards to have at least one director from an ethnic minority background by 2021. The Board is mindful of its need for greater diversity and this will be considered in future appointments.
Alison Platt
1 November 2024