Hargreaves Lansdown has elected Alison Platt 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.”
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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.”
In its first quarter report in October, Hargreaves Lansdown announced it brought in £600m within the period, bringing total assets under administration to £134.8bn, factoring in market movements.
CEO Dan Olley said: “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.”
