Directors

Alison Digges

Independent Non-Executive Director

Alison Digges was appointed as a Non-Executive Director on 1 January 2020. Alison has extensive experience of running consumer businesses in the media and gaming sectors, leading programmes of digital transformation. She was recently the UK Managing Director of Digital for Entain plc, one of the world’s largest sports betting and gaming groups, with full P&L accountability for their gaming brands. She previously held digital and marketing roles for Gala Coral, Datamonitor and Granada Television, and brings a wealth of commercial, operations and digital experience from multi-site consumer businesses.
 
Alison is a member of the Audit, Remuneration and Nomination Committees.

Zoe Morgan

Independent Non-Executive Director

Zoe Morgan was appointed as a Non-Executive Director on 1 January 2020. Zoe is an experienced marketeer and Non-Executive Director. She has been Marketing Director of a number of retail, consumer and food businesses including Boots and the Co-operative Group. She has also been co-founder of a number of start-up businesses. She has a strong marketing background in multi-site, retail businesses, with a broad skill set in strategy, brand management and CRM. She has previously held a number of NED roles, including at Finsbury plc, a leading speciality bakery manufacturer, and Moss Bros Group plc, and chaired the Remuneration Committees of both organisations. She is currently a Non-Executive Director at Dogtooth Technologies Ltd and Amicable.

Zoe is Chairman of the Remuneration Committee and a member of the Nomination Committee.

Andy Hornby

Chief Executive Officer

Andy joined the Company as Chief Executive Officer on 1 August 2019. Andy is an experienced company Chief Executive, with strong consumer and digital credentials. He was previously Co Chief Operating Officer of GVC Holdings plc (“GVC”). After joining Gala Coral in 2011, he was successively Chief Executive of Coral, Chief Operating Officer of Gala Coral, Chief Operating Officer of Ladbrokes Coral (following the merger with Ladbrokes in 2016) and Co Chief Operating Officer of GVC (following the purchase by GVC in 2018).

Prior to joining Gala Coral, Andy was Group Chief Executive of Alliance Boots from 2009 to 2011, having previously held positions as Chief Executive of Halifax Retail, CEO of the Retail Division of HBOS plc, Chief Operating Officer of HBOS plc and then Chief Executive of HBOS plc from 2006 to the end of 2008. Earlier in his career Andy held a range of roles at Asda, the supermarket retailer, including Retail Managing Director and Managing Director of ‘George’ clothing.

Andy is also Non-Executive Chairman of Sharps Bedrooms and a Trustee of the charity Only A Pavement Away.

Debbie Hewitt MBE

Independent Non-Executive Chairman

Debbie was appointed as a Non-Executive Director on 1 May 2015 and Chairman on 12 May 2016. She is currently Non-Executive Chair of White Stuff Ltd., Visa Europe Ltd. and BGL (Holdings) Ltd.

Her executive career was spent at RAC plc where she was Group Managing Director and prior to that she was in retail management with Marks and Spencer. She is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel Development and was awarded the MBE for services to Business and the Public Sector in 2011.

Debbie chairs the Nomination Committee and is a member of the Remuneration Committee.

Kirk Davis

Chief Financial Officer

Kirk joined the Company as Chief Financial Officer on 5 February 2018. He has extensive finance experience within listed leisure and retail businesses and was previously Chief Financial Officer at Greene King plc for three years. Prior to that he was Finance Director at J D Wetherspoon plc, and he has also held senior finance roles at Tesco plc and Marks & Spencer plc. He is a member of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants.

Graham Clemett

Senior Independent Non-Executive Director

Graham was appointed as a Non-Executive Director on 1 June 2016. Graham is currently Chief Executive Officer of Workspace Group plc. He previously held roles as Finance Director for UK Corporate Banking at RBS Group plc and as Group Financial Controller at Reuters plc. He qualified as a chartered accountant with KPMG.

Graham is a member of the Audit, Remuneration and Nomination Committees.

Mike Tye

Independent Non-Executive Director

Mike was appointed as a Non-Executive Director on 4 April 2016. He has extensive experience of the Leisure and Hospitality sector and was, until 2015, Chief Executive Officer of Spirit Pub Company plc, where he led its successful establishment as a public company following the demerger from Punch Taverns and the subsequent turnaround and sale of the business. Prior to that, he held a number of senior executive roles in Whitbread, including Managing Director of David Lloyd Leisure, Premier Inn and Costa Coffee. Mike is currently also Chairman of Moto Hospitality Group Limited (the motorway services operator), Chairman of the Haulfryn Group Limited and Vice-Chairman of Prostate Cancer UK.

Mike is Chairman of the Remuneration Committee and a member of the Audit and Nomination Committees.

Allan Leighton

Senior Independent Non-Executive Director

Allan was appointed as a Non-Executive Director of the Company on 24 December 2018. Allan is currently Chairman of a number of consumer-focused businesses including Co-operative Group Limited and Entertainment One Limited, and was the Chairman of Mabel Topco Limited (the parent company of the Wagamama Group) prior to its acquisition by TRG. He was previously Chief Executive Officer of ASDA Group Limited and Pandora A/S, President & CEO of Wal-Mart Europe and Chairman of Pace plc and Royal Mail.

Allan has also been the Chairman at Race for Opportunity and Business Ambassador for HRH the Prince of Wales, and is a Patron of Breast Cancer Care.

Alex Gersh

Independent Non-Executive Director

Alex Gersh was appointed as a Non-Executive Director on 23 February 2021. Alex is currently the CFO of Sportradar, a global leader in leveraging the power of sports data and digital content for clients around the world. Prior to that he was CFO of Cazoo, an online used car business. He is an experienced listed business CFO and was previously CFO of the FTSE 100 listed business Paddy Power Betfair Group, where he played a key role in the merger of Betfair with Paddy Power plc and in driving the subsequent success of the combined business.

From 2018 to 2020, Alex was a Non-Executive Director and Chairman of the Audit Committee at Moss Bros plc, until the business was delisted in June 2020. From 2007 to 2013, Alex was a Non-Executive Director and Chairman of the Audit Committee at Black Earth Farming Ltd, an agricultural company listed on NASDAQ OMX (Stockholm).

Alex is Chairman of the Audit Committee and a member of the Nomination Committee.

Ken Hanna

Independent Non-Executive Chairman

Ken Hanna was appointed as a Non-Executive Director on 1 December 2021 and Chairman with effect from 1 January 2022.

Ken is an experienced Chair and brings a wealth of relevant business experience from both his Executive and Non-Executive careers. His Executive career has included the roles of CFO of Avis Europe plc, CFO of United Distillers plc, CFO of Sygen International plc, CFO and CEO of Dalgety plc, and CFO of Cadbury plc. Since embarking on a Non-Executive career, Ken’s roles have included Non-Executive Director of Tesco plc, and Chairman of Inchcape plc, Shooting Star Chase, Aggreko plc RMD Kwikform, and Arena Events Group plc.

Ken is Chairman of the Nomination Committee and a member of the Remuneration Committee.