The Board of Directors

Board committee memberships:

• Chair of the Nomination Committee
• Member of the Management Engagement Committee

Relevant skills and experience:

• Almost 40 years’ experience at Board level in the real estate industry, including part of his executive career as Chief Executive of Savills plc
• Extensive experience as a Chairman and Non-Executive Director, including as Senior Independent Director of Associated British ports plc and Chairman of Max Property Group plc
• Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales
• Fellow of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors

Significant previous external experience:

• Chief Executive of Savills plc from 1991-2008
• Senior Independent Director of Associated British Ports plc
• Chairman of Air Partner plc and Max Property Group plc
• Non-Executive Director of The British Land Company plc from 2008-2017

Principal external appointments:

• Group Chair of L&Q Housing Trust, a leading housing association since September 2015
• Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Wigmore Hall since May 2011
• Director of Nameco (No.522) Ltd since 2015

Board committee memberships:

• Member of the Management Engagement Committee 
• Member of the Audit & Risk Committee
• Member of the Nomination Committee

Relevant skills and experience:

• Over 20 years of board level experience in public and private organisations
• Managing director of Whitworth Holdings Limited from 2012 to 2022, when the business was sold
• Non-executive director and chair of the audit and risk committee of Pets at Home Group plc until May 2021
• Various operational, strategic and commercial roles at J Sainsbury’s PLC, from 2007 to 2018, ultimately becoming a member of the commercial board and director of non-food grocery and new business for the last three years
• Supervisory member and audit committee member of GS1 UK Limited from 2013 to 2018
• Chairman’s adviser/finance director at BGS Holdings Limited (trading as “Tunetribe”) from 2005 to 2007
• Various roles at Intercontinental Hotel Group plc from 2000 to 2005, including senior vice president of strategy and transformation and senior vice president of investor relations
• Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales

Significant previous external experience:

• Non-Executive Director and Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee of Pets at Home Group plc till May 2021.
• Various operational, strategic and commercial roles at J Sainsbury’s PLC, from 2007 to 2018, ultimately becoming a member of the Commercial Board and Director of Non-Food Grocery and New Business for the last three years
• Supervisory member and Audit Committee member of GS1 UK Limited from 2013 to 2018.
• Managing Director at Whitworth Corporate Holdings Limited from 2005 to 2007
• Chairman’s Advisor/Finance Director at BGS Holdings Limited (trading as ‘Tunetribe’) from 2005 to 2007
• Various roles at Intercontinental Hotel Group plc from 2000 to 2005, including Senior Vice President of Strategy and Transformation and Senior Vice President of Investor Relations
• Senior Manager at PricewaterhouseCoopers from 1997 to 2000

Principal external appointments:

• Non-executive director and member of the audit committee and corporate responsibility committee of Tesco plc since December 2020
• Non-executive director and audit committee chair of The Rank Group Plc since November 2019 and senior independent director since January 2022
• Non-Executive Director of Nuffield Health since September 2023
• Independent adviser to Growup Farms Limited since 2019

Board committee memberships:

• Chairman of the Audit & Risk Committee
• Member of the Management Engagement Committee

Relevant skills and experience:

• Experienced non-executive director and non-executive chairman of quoted and unquoted businesses
• In-depth knowledge of financial matters through his previous roles as finance director and chief executive of CDC Group plc for 11 years; as finance director of De La Rue plc; as financial analyst and manager at Bookers Group plc; and from five years at PricewaterhouseCoopers
• Non-executive director and chairman of the audit and risk committee of JP Morgan Emerging Markets Investment Trust plc from January 2015 to February 2024
• Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales

Significant previous external experience:

• Chief Executive of CDC Group plc from 2004-2011, having joined the organisation in 2000 as Finance Director
• Group Finance Director of De La Rue plc, where he held a number of positions over 15 years, in the UK and internationally
• Member of the Board of Trustees of Plan International UK, the international children’s charity
• Non Executive Director of Development Works Limited, a trading subsidiary of Plan International UK
• Non Executive Director of Murray Income Trust plc
• Chairman of Perpetual Income and Growth Investment Trust plc from 2017-2022
• Chairman of Miro Forestry Limited from 2014-2021 having joined the board in May 2012
• Deputy Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Leeds Castle 2012-2024

Principal external appointments:

• Chairman of 3i Infrastructure plc since January 2016
• Trustee of the Leeds Castle Retirement Benefit Scheme since September 2012

Board committee memberships:

• Member of the Nomination Committee
• Member of the Management Engagement Committee

Relevant skills and experience:

• Over 30 years’ experience in the UK and international real estate markets both at an operational and strategic level
• Former director and global executive board member of Jones Lang LaSalle Inc (“JLL”), previously serving as managing director of JLL in the UK, before becoming CEO for Europe, Middle East and Africa and then CEO for Asia Pacific
• Fellow of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors

Significant previous external experience:

• Executive board member and Chief Executive for Asia Pacific at Jones Lang LaSalle Inc. for eight years; previously Chief Executive for Europe, Middle East and Africa and formerly UK Managing Director of JLL

Principal external appointments:

• Chair of Schroder Real Estate Investment Trust Limited since October 2021, non-executive director since April 2017
• Non-executive director of The British Land Company plc since January 2018
• Non-executive director of QuadReal, a Canadian Property Group, since October 2019

Board committee memberships:

• Member of the Audit & Risk Committee
• Member of the Management Engagement Committee

Relevant skills and experience:

• A strong strategic and financial advisory background and a wealth of international experience gained from a career of over 25 years in investment banking in Asia and Europe
• Set up and led the European investment banking team at CLSA Securities, the international investment banking platform of CITIC Securities, from 2015 to January 2019
• Prior to CLSA Securities, was head of M&A and general industrials at ICBC International
• Held senior level positions at The Royal Bank of Scotland, HSBC and Merrill Lynch in Hong Kong and London
• Served as a non-executive director of Laird Plc from January 2017 to June 2018
• Previously Senior Advisor at Rothschild & Co Hong Kong Limited from January 2019 to January 2023

Significant previous external experience:

• Set up and led the European investment banking team at CLSA Securities, the international investment Banking platform of CITIC Securities, from 2015 to January 2019
• Prior to CLSA Securities, Wu Gang was head of M&A and General Industrials at ICBC International
• Held senior level positions at The Royal Bank of Scotland, HSBC and Merrill Lynch in Hong Kong and London
• Served as a Non-Executive Director of Laird Plc from January 2017 to June 2018

Principal external appointments

• Non-executive director of Ashurst LLP and IG Group Holdings Plc since April 2019 and October 2020 respectively

Board Committee memberships:

• Member of the Audit & Risk Committee
• Chair of the Management Engagement Committee

Relevant skills and experience:

• Brings a clear focus on consumer trends and market insights, identifying growth opportunities and translating these into value-creating strategies
• 22 years’ experience in strategy and M&A, as a former strategy consultant with L.E.K. Consulting from 2002-2005; an investment director at the RBS Special Opportunities Fund from 2005-2012; Head of Corporate Development from 2013-2017 and Strategy Director of Services from 2016 to 2017 at Curry’s
• Previously Group Strategy Director at Diageo from 2019 to 2023

Significant previous external experience:

• Strategy Director from 2016 to 2017 and Head of Corporate Development from 2013 to 2017 at Currys (formerly Dixons Carphone)
• Director at Special Opportunities Fund from 2005 to 2012
• Associate consultant at L.E.K Consulting from 2002 to 2005

Principal external appointments:

• Chief Strategy Officer at Inchcape plc since February 2023