Executive Directors
Adam Castleton
Executive Director - Group Chief Financial Officer
Adam was appointed Group Chief Financial Officer on 2 November 2015. He has broad financial skills and experience in the retail and services sectors. Adam joined LSL from French Connection Group PLC, where he was the Group Finance Director. He previously held leadership roles at several market-leading companies including O2 UK, eBay and The Walt Disney Company. Adam has over 30 years' experience in finance, having started his career with Price Waterhouse, where he qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 1989.
David Stewart
Group Chief Executive Officer
David was appointed Group Chief Executive Officer on 1 May 2020 and has primary responsibility for LSL’s performance, strategy and development. Prior to this David was a Non Executive Director, having joined the Board on 1 May 2015. He was also Chair of the Audit & Risk Committee and a member of the Remuneration and Nominations Committees. David has significant experience in finance, strategy, operations, risk and compliance, with particular expertise in financial services. He was Chief Executive of Coventry Building Society from 2006 to 2014, having earlier served as Finance Director and Operations Director. Prior to joining the Coventry, David spent ten years at DBS Management plc, holding several board positions including Group Chief Executive and Group Finance Director. David qualified as a Chartered Accountant with Peat Marwick (KPMG) and is a graduate of Warwick University.
Non Executive Directors
Gaby Appleton
Independent Non Executive Director
Committees: Remuneration (Chair), Nominations, Audit & Risk
Other responsibilities: designated Non Executive Director for workforce engagement
Gaby joined LSL as an independent Non Executive Director on 1 September 2019. She has significant experience in strategy, technology, operations and sales and marketing, particularly in the professional information solutions sector. This includes her current appointment as Chief Digital Product Officer at Reed Exhibitions (a RELX Group plc company). Gaby previously held several executive strategic digital and marketing roles including Global Director of Strategy and Director of Research Strategy at Elsevier in Amsterdam. Before joining Elsevier, Gaby held operating positions at Sainsbury’s Supermarkets Ltd, within the Procter & Gamble group of companies, and was a senior manager at McKinsey & Co. Gaby holds a BA from the University of Cambridge.
Simon Embley
Non Executive Director
Simon was Non Executive Chair of LSL from 1 January 2015 until 28 April 2021, when he stepped down following his appointment as Chief Executive of Pivotal Growth Limited, the joint venture between LSL and Pollen Street Capital. Simon has remained on the Board so the Group can continue to benefit from his knowledge and experience, and the Board keeps this position under review. Simon was Deputy Chair from 2014 to 2015 and Group Chief Executive Officer until 2014, a role which he held at the time of the management buyout of e.surv and Your Move from Aviva (formerly Norwich Union Life) in 2004. Simon was responsible for the strategic direction of these companies prior to the management buyout and he subsequently led the turnaround of the initial Group. Simon’s other directorships include a small estate management company, Eveclo Holdings Limited (an IT business) and Road to Health (a healthcare provider). He is also Non Executive Chair at Global Property Ventures, a market-leading insurance-based tenant deposit company.
Darrell Evans
Interim Chair
Committees: Nominations (Interim Chair), Remuneration
Darrell was appointed as an independent Non Executive Director on 28 February 2019 and became Interim Chair from 26 February 2024. He has significant experience in financial services and he was previously Chief Commercial Officer at the Co-Operative Bank plc. He spent the first part of his career at Royal Bank of Scotland plc, where he was Managing Director, Mortgages, Loans and Retail Telephony in the retail banking division, responsible for all aspects of the Group’s mortgage proposition. Prior to that he was Product Director for the RBS retail bank. Darrell has also held senior executive roles at Direct Line Insurance Group plc, Virgin Money plc and The Consulting Consortium, where he was CEO.
Sonya Ghobrial
Independent Non-Executive Director
Committees: Audit & Risk, Remuneration
Sonya was appointed as an independent Non Executive Director on 4 March 2022. She has significant experience in banking, finance, strategy, investor relations, governance and ESG, which she has gained from her roles in the consumer sector, including her current position as Head of Investor Relations at Haleon. Sonya was previously Head of Investor Relations at Heineken and provided investor relations and consultancy services as Clear Giraffe IR. Her experience also includes senior roles with investment banks, including Barclays Capital, Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley. She qualified as an accountant with KPMG and holds a BAcc (Hons) in Accountancy and Economics.
James Mack
Senior Independent Director
Committees: Audit & Risk (Chair), Nominations Committee
Other responsibilities: Senior Independent Director
James was appointed as an independent Non Executive Director on 27 September 2021. He has significant experience in audit, risk and financial services, particularly in retail financial services. James was previously Chief Financial Officer at Barclays Bank UK plc and Aldermore plc and acting Chief Financial Officer at the Co-operative Bank. His experience also includes senior roles in finance and internal audit at Skipton Building Society. James qualified as an accountant with KPMG and holds a BA from the University of Nottingham. James is deemed to have recent and relevant financial experience to Chair the Audit & Risk Committee.
Sapna Bedi FitzGerald
General Counsel and Company Secretary
Sapna qualified as a solicitor in 1998 and has been General Counsel and Company Secretary at LSL since 2004. Prior to the management buyout of Your Move and e.surv, Sapna was a member of Aviva Life Legal Services and had, since 2001, been part of the team that supported Your Move and e.surv Chartered Surveyors.