She will replace Mike Evans, who announced last year that he would be stepping down from his chair duties as soon as a successor was identified. He will step down as of 7 February.
Oppenheimer (pictured) joins from Tesco plc as senior independent director and chair of remuneration committee. She also currently holds roles as non-executive director and chair of the remuneration committee of Whitbread plc, and non-executive director of AXA Group and Worldpay.
Prior to this, Oppenheimer gained experience transforming the retail banking division for five years at Barclays and is founder of CameoWorks, a consumer-focused boutique advisory firm which works with fintech businesses and other technology disrupters.
Chris Hill, chief executive officer of HL, said: “We are delighted to announce Deanna’s appointment. The knowledge and experience that she has built up throughout her executive and non-executive career, with its focus around customer engagement and technology, make her an ideal chair to lead the board into our next phase of growth.
“Mike joined the Board of Hargreaves Lansdown in September 2006 prior to the IPO in May 2007 and his integrity and leadership style has contributed strongly to the development of the board and our governance framework.”
Oppenheimer said she was immediately attracted to the firm by “the people, their values and the client first culture”.
She added: “I am excited by the opportunities ahead of us and am looking forward to playing my part in the HL story.”
Meanwhile, the firm has also announced that Chris Barling, non-executive director and senior independent non-executive director (SID), will also be stepping down from 7 February. Shirley Garrood has been appointed as SID to replace him, effective from the same date.
Hill said: “Chris has served on the board since August 2010 and as the SID and Chair of the Remuneration Committee since October 2013.
“His technological insight and entrepreneurial thinking have been of great value. We are also grateful for his role in the search which has resulted in Deanna’s appointment and we thank him and wish him well with his business ventures.”
The firm confirmed that Deanna will cease two of her roles by mid-2018.
