David Stewart
Group Chief Executive Officer
(from 1 May 2020)Appointed to Board:
1 May 2015
Will retire on 30 April 2025
Key skills and experience
- Responsible for the Group's performance, strategy and development.
- Significant experience in finance, strategy, operations, risk and compliance.
- Particular expertise in financial services.
- Qualified as a chartered accountant.
- Graduate of Warwick University.
Previous appointments
- LSL Non-Executive Director, Chair of the Audit & Risk Committee and member of the Remuneration and Nominations Committees from 1 May 2015 to 30 April 2020.
- Chief executive, finance director and operations director roles at Coventry Building Society.
- Group chief executive and group finance director roles at DBS Management.
- Peat Marwick (KPMG).
Current external appointments
- Non-executive director of Pivotal Growth Limited
Adam Castleton
Group Chief Financial Officer and Group CEO Designate
(CEO Designate from 30 January 2025)Appointed to Board:
2 November 2015
Key skills and experience
- Detailed knowledge of the Group’s business.
- In-depth experience in corporate leadership.
- Closely engaged with our investor community.
- Over 30 years’ experience in finance.
- Qualified as a chartered accountant.
Previous appointments
- Group finance director of French Connection Group PLC.
- Leadership roles including at O2 UK and The Walt Disney Company.
- PriceWaterhouse.
Current external appointments
- None
Adrian Collins
Non-Executive Chair
Appointed to Board:
30 April 2024
Key skills and experience
- Highly experienced board chair and executive director of listed companies.
- Deep understanding of public markets.
- Co-founded and led a number of highly successful financial services businesses.
- Contributed to building one of the UK’s leading institutional and retail fund management businesses.
- Experience in transformation of businesses and significantly growing assets.
Previous appointments
- Managing director at Gartmore Investment Management.
- One of the founders of Trustnet.
- Senior executive roles at Jupiter, Bestinvest and Lazard Investors.
- Executive and non-executive chair of Liontrust Asset Management.
- Other board positions.
- Non-executive director of Hargreaves Lansdown plc
Current external appointments
- Board chair of Logistics Development Group plc.
James Mack
Independent Non-Executive Director
Appointed to Board:
27 September 2021
Other responsibilities
- Senior Independent Director.
Key skills and experience
- Significant knowledge in audit and risk, with recent relevant financial experience.
- Qualified as a chartered accountant.
- Holds a BA from the University of Nottingham.
Previous appointments
- Chief financial officer at Barclays Bank UK plc.
- Chief financial officer at Aldermore plc.
- Acting chief financial officer at the Co-operative Bank.
- Senior roles in finance and internal audit at Skipton Building Society.
- KPMG.
Current external appointments
- Director of John Lewis Money.
Gaby Appleton
Independent Non-Executive Director
Appointed to Board:
1 September 2019
Key skills and experience
- Significant experience in strategy, technology operations, sales and marketing, particularly in the professional information solutions sector.
- Holds a BA from the University of Cambridge.
Previous appointments
- Global director of strategy and director of research strategy at Elsevier.
- Operating positions at Sainsbury’s Supermarkets Ltd.
- Senior manager at McKinsey & Co.
Current external appointments
- Chief digital product officer of Reed Exhibitions (a RELX Group plc company).
Sonya Ghobrial
Independent Non-Executive Director
Appointed to Board:
4 March 2022
Key skills and experience
- Significant experience in banking, finance, strategy, investor relations, governance and ESG.
- Involvement in the consumer sector.
- Qualified as an accountant.
- Holds a BAcc (Hons) in Accountancy and Economics
Previous appointments
- Head of investor relations at Haleon and Heineken.
- Provided investor relations and consultancy services as Clear Giraffe IR.
- Senior roles at investment banks, including Barclays Capital, Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley.
- KPMG
Current external appointments
- Global head of investor relations of Diageo plc.
Darrell Evan
Independent Non-Executive Director
Appointed to Board:
28 February 2019
Other responsibilities
- Designated Non-Executive Director for workforce engagement.
- Chair of the Surveying & Valuation Division.
Key skills and experience
- Significant experience in financial services.
- Experience in retail banking and mortgage propositions.
- Experience in strategy, proposition development and commercial management.
Previous appointments
- Chief executive at Beneden Health.
- Chief commercial officer at the Co-Operative Bank plc.
- Product director for the RBS Retail Bank.
- Senior executive roles at Direct Line Insurance Group plc and Virgin Money plc.
- Chief executive officer at The Consulting Consortium.
Current external appointments
- None.
Michael Stoop
Independent Non-Executive Director
Appointed to Board:
24 June 2024
Other responsibilities
- Chair of the Estate Agency Franchising Division.
Key skills and experience
- Significant experience in estate agency and franchising.
- Fellow of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors.
- Fellow of the National Association of Estate Agents.
Previous appointments
- Managing director at M Winkworth plc.
- Managing director of the estate agency division at Legal & General Group plc.
- Chair and non-executive director at Belvoir Group plc.
- Group managing director at The Property Franchise Group plc
Current external appointments
- Industry board member and chair of the finance & performance committee at The Property Ombudsman.
- Director at Michael Stoop Property Services Ltd.
- Director at Kriva Ltd.