Board & policies

Simon Hayes has served on the Board since 29 June 2015 and was appointed as Chairman with effect from 17 February 2021. Simon was Chairman of Peel Hunt Limited until July 2022. He joined Peel Hunt in 1993 and was appointed Head of Corporate Finance in 2003, Chief Executive in 2006 and Chairman in 2016.

Sandra Kelly has served on the Board since 9 October 2019. A Chartered Accountant, she was formerly Finance Director of the Canal & River Trust. Prior to that she spent eight years as Finance Director at NHBC (National House-Building Council). She is a Trustee of the Land Trust. She previously held senior finance positions in the commercial sector, most notably for BMW GB.

James Ashton has served on the Board since 14 October 2020. James is Chief Executive of the Quoted Companies Alliance, a membership body which represents the interests of small and mid-sized publicly traded companies with government, regulators and the media. He is the author of several business books and chairs Oscar’s Book Prize, the annual search for the UK’s best picture book. James was City Editor and Executive Editor of the Evening Standard and Independent titles and before that City Editor of the Sunday Times.

Kate Cornish-Bowden has served on the Board since 26 October 2017.  Kate was formerly a Fund Manager for Morgan Stanley where she was Managing Director and head of the global core equity team. Kate is a Non-Executive Director and chair of the audit committee at CC Japan Income & Growth Trust plc, the Non-Executive Chairman of International Biotechnology Trust plc and a Non-Executive Director of European Assets Trust PLC. She was formerly a Non-Executive Director and Senior Independent Director at Schroder Oriental Income Fund Limited.

Pars Purewal has served on the Board since 28 November 2022. Pars has broad investment sector experience gained over a 38-year career at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, including 25 years as Partner across the business’ Audit and Advisory, People, Sales and UK Asset Management teams. Pars is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, the Chair of Royal London Asset Management Limited and Royal London Asset Management Holdings Limited, a Non-Executive Director on the boards of The Royal London Mutual Insurance Society Limited, The Law Debenture Corporation plc, Temple Holdings Limited and the Chair of Trustees for Beyond Food Foundation. He was formerly on the boards of Brewin Dolphin Holdings PLC and Federated Hermes Limited.

Lorna Tilbian has served on the Board since 26 October 2017. Lorna is a Non-Executive director of Premier Foods plc, ProVen VCT plc and Rightmove plc where she chairs the Remuneration Committee. Lorna is also Chair of Dowgate Capital Ltd and a Director of Dowgate Wealth Ltd. She was formerly an Executive Director of Numis Corporation PLC, a Non-Executive director of Euromoney Institutional Investor PLC, Jupiter UK Growth Investment Trust PLC and M&C Saatchi PLC, a Director of WestLB Panmure Limited and S G Warburg Securities.