Hargreaves Lansdown names Alison Platt as chair of board

Almost six years after her departure as chief executive of Countrywide, Alison Platt has been appointed by Hargreaves Lansdown as chair of the board and non-executive director, to replace Deanna Oppenheimer.

Oppenheimer is leaving the role after six years as chair on 8 December. Platt will join the board early in the new year, and currently serves as chair for Dechra Pharmaceuticals, soon to be acquired by EQT.

She also serves as non-executive director for Tesco, and as chair of Ageas UK. Previously, Platt was the CEO of Countrywide for four years and worked at BUPA as managing director of the international development markets business.

“I am delighted to be joining the HL board and excited by the opportunity to work with Dan and the team as HL continues its critical work in supporting clients to make savings and investment decisions with confidence,” Platt said. “I look forward to working closely with my new Board colleagues to guide HL’s next phase of growth.”

Senior independent director Penny James will serve as interim chair until Platt receives regulatory approval. Board member Roger Perkin has also announced he will be leaving the board on 8 December alongside Oppenheimer.

“I’m honoured to have overseen the board during a period of significant change for the industry and for HL,” Oppenheimer said.

“HL is in a strong position for growth and has skilled leadership which will ensure the company’s future success. Over the last six years our client numbers have doubled to 1.8 million and our share of the direct-to-consumer market has grown significantly from 35% to 42%.

“I’m delighted to hand over to Alison, whose broad and relevant experience across different sectors will be of great benefit and support to the HL team as they move forward. I would also like to thank Roger for his service and dedication to HL and for staying on over these last few months to support the chair selection process.”

CEO Dan Olley added: “I would like to thank Deanna for her guidance and stewardship during her tenure as chair. I look forward to working with Alison who brings a wealth of experience to the board.”

LRG appoints Tom Davies as group financial services managing director

Leaders Romans Group (LRG) has appointed Alexander Hall’s managing director Tom Davies as group financial services managing director.

He resigned yesterday from the mortgage broker. He will be replaced by former Alexander Hall technical director Richard Merrett.

Davies will join LRG in February.

Kevin Shaw, LRG national sales managing director, said: “We are delighted to appoint Tom to the key position of Group Financial Services Managing Director at Leaders Romans Group. This new position has been created at a time of rapid growth for LRG, both organically and through acquisitions.

“Tom has the ideal combination of skills and experience to help take us forward strategically our next period of expansion. We look forward to developing further the scope and range of our financial services business.

“LRG provides sales, lettings and financial services from a range of marked-leading brands over 250 branches throughout England and Wales.”

Davies added: “I cannot wait to get started at Leaders Romans Group and to begin working with my new colleagues. It’s a very exciting time for the business that has particularly ambitious growth plans and I’m thrilled to be involved.”

iamproperty announces appointment of Mark Lewis as New Group Chair

iamproperty has welcomed Mark Lewis as group chair. The appointment comes at a key time for the business, with work well underway to deliver its vision of an integrated ecosystem of solutions for estate agents.

Lewis was previously managing director of eBay UK, scaling the online auction business to become a major force in UK retail. As retail director on the board of John Lewis, he helped grow the business to become the market-leading multi-channel retailer in the UK.

Lewis also worked as CEO of MoneySupermarket Group plc, scaling the price comparison business and helping households save over £2bn from their bills each year. He is currently a non-executive director for both Santander UK and Direct Line Group plc, and a Trustee of The Photographers’ Gallery. The appointment comes following the announcement of Perwyn as iamproperty’s new private equity partner last month.

Lewis said: “What the [iamproperty] founders Ben and Jamie have built is already impressive, with innovative modern auction solutions based on strong technology and a fantastic service proposition. They have a deep understanding of the industry and the needs of Estate Agents, and I’m looking forward to working together to see their ecosystem vision fulfilled.”

Ben Ridgway, co-founder of iamproperty, added: “He [Mark Lewi] brings a huge raft of experience which is really relevant for the direction of travel of the business, as we deliver on our ecosystem vision. We’re at a key point with the innovation behind this, with some new features and solution launches coming in the New Year. A huge thanks to Mark Goddard for his time as chairman, during what was a very exciting period of organic growth and acquisition.”

Gurinder Sunner, partner at Perwyn, also commented: “We invested in iamproperty to support the business, and there is a great synergy between our teams. We are delighted with Mark Lewis’ appointment as the new group chairman of the company, and we look forward to working with him to leverage his formidable experience and strategic insight in guiding iamproperty as it continues to scale. Attracting a chairman of Mark’s calibre is another testament to the impressive business that Ben and Jamie have built; with Mark being excellently placed to help drive iamproperty’s expansion.”

Comings & Goings