• Swindon & Wiltshire Appointments
• Wednesday November 29 2023
• Author Name: Peter Davison

New chair appointed at Hargreaves Lansdown

Bristol-based wealth management firm Hargreaves Lansdown has appointed a new chair to succeed Deanna Oppenheimer, investors were told this morning (Wednesday).

Alison Platt is currently chair of specialist veterinary products business Dechra Pharmaceuticals, as well as a non-executive director of Tesco plc and chair of general insurer, Ageas UK. She will take up her post early in the new year.

Deanna Oppenheimer will be stepping down at the firm’s AGM on December 8 after six years.

The move follows the news that Hargreaves Lansdown is to lose its place on the FTSE 100 index.

The firm, which has a market valuation of about £3.4 billion, has seen its shares slump by nearly 20 per cent during the last year.

Alison said: “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.

“I look forward to working closely with my new board colleagues to guide HL’s next phase of growth.”

Deanna said: “I’m honoured to have overseen the board during a period of significant change for the industry and for HL.

“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 per cent to 42 per cent.

“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.”

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.”