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Meet the Board of Directors

This Board of Directors governs Virgin Money UK PLC.

David Bennett

David Bennett

Board Chair

Board committee membership

Joined the Group:

October 2015 and became Board Chair May 2020

Skills, experience and contribution:

  • Deep experience gained over 40 years in retail banking & financial services
  • Extensive experience in strategic planning and implementation
  • Significant board governance experience including at chairman level
  • Credibility with stakeholders
  • Strong leadership qualities

David is an experienced Board Chair and Non-Executive Director. He brings extensive experience of retail banking, strategy, risk management, corporate activity and organisation, operational and structural change gained from his long career in financial services. He has the governance expertise and external insight required to lead an effective Board which is critical to the long-term success of the Group. Prior to becoming Board Chair in 2020, David had been Deputy Board Chair since 2015 and therefore has the experience of the Group and track record needed to support the Board and executive in delivering the medium and longer-term strategy. His extensive business career includes time as Group Finance Director of Alliance & Leicester plc for six years before becoming its Group Chief Executive. Following the acquisition of Alliance & Leicester plc by Banco Santander he was Executive Director on the Board of Abbey National plc. He was formerly Chairman of Homeserve Membership Limited and Together Financial Services Limited, was a Non-Executive Director on the Board of Bank of Ireland (UK) PLC, Chairman of Ashmore Group plc and has significant Non-Executive Director experience in listed environments which has included easyJet plc and CMC Markets PLC. During his time at easyJet plc, David advocated research into alternatives to jet fuel and reducing fuel consumption in order to reduce the impact aviation has on climate change. David has experience working with various charities, supporting and promoting sustainability throughout the industry.

Key external appointments:

Chairman of Allfunds Group plc, Non-Executive Director of PayPal (Europe) S.a.r.l et Cie, S.C.A, Chair of PayPal UK Ltd and Non-Executive Board member of the Department for Work and Pensions.

Lucinda Charles-Jones

Lucinda Charles-Jones

Independent Non-Executive Director

Board committee membership

Joined the Group:

January 2024

Skills, experience and contribution:

  • An experienced Chief People Officer
  • UK Listed Board experience as a Non-Executive Director
  • Strong remuneration and corporate governance experience gained including over 16+ years of Remuneration Committee experience
  • Experience in growth and transformation environments in large scale UK centric and international companies across a range of sectors including financial services and consumer-led industries

Lucinda is Chair of the Remuneration Committee with more than 25 years’ executive-level experience in human resources roles. She was Chief People & Corporate Responsibility Officer at AXA UK and Ireland, part of the AXA SA Group from 2015 to 2022 where her role included responsibility for developing the environmental and social aspects of the corporate responsibility strategy, and Group HR Director for Towergate Partnership Co Ltd from 2011 to 2014. Prior to this, Lucinda was Group Global HR Director for Hays Plc and has also previously held human resources roles at RAC PLC, Consumer Division and Vivendi SA.

External appointments:

Non-Executive Director and Chair of the Remuneration Committee at The Rank Group plc and Non-Executive Director on the board of trustees for Business in the Community where she is also Chair of the Remuneration Committee.

Geeta Gopalan

Geeta Gopalan

Independent Non-Executive Director

Board committee membership

Joined the Group:

October 2018

Skills, experience and contribution:

  • Extensive business leadership, management and board experience
  • Experience in the UK and internationally across a range of industries including financial services, retail banking, payments, digital innovation and the social sector
  • Deep understanding of the digital economy and interest in emerging technologies
  • Strong strategic, risk and governance experience

Geeta’s extensive financial services, retail banking and payments industry experience gained over more than 25 years strengthen the Board. Her understanding of the digital economy and interest in emerging technologies including the use of data and analytics in financial services enhance Board discussions with respect to the Group’s digital strategy in particular. Her extensive experience in the retail banking and payments industries mean she has a strong focus on customer conduct and fairness considerations and in delivering customer-focused outcomes. Her broad risk and governance experience is highly relevant to her role as Chair of the Risk Committee. Geeta was formerly Non-Executive Director and Chair of the Remuneration Committee of Dechra Pharmaceuticals PLC, Non-Executive Director and Chair of the Remuneration Committee of Ultra Electronic Holdings Plc, Non- Executive Director and Chair of the Risk Committee at Wizink Bank S.A., Executive Chair of Monitise Europe, a non-executive director at VocaLink and Vice Chair of the Big Lottery Fund England, one of the largest funders of the third sector in England. Among the many roles in her career, Geeta was Director of Payment Services with HBOS plc and previously Managing Director, UK Retail Bank and Business Development Head EME at Citigroup. She is a chartered accountant.

Key external appointments:

Senior Independent Director and Chair of the Audit Committee of Funding Circle Holdings Plc, Non-Executive Director of Intrum AB (publ) and Trustee of the Old Vic Theatre Trust 2000.

Elena Novokreshchenova

Elena Novokreshchenova

Independent Non-Executive Director

Board committee membership

Joined the Group:

March 2021

Skills, experience and contribution:

  • Extensive experience in leading disruptive technology organisations across a range of sectors and growth stages
  • Proven track record in formulating and executing on digital strategy and transformation
  • Deep understanding of delivering value within innovative customer-centric businesses
  • Significant strategic and risk management experience

Elena’s extensive understanding of customer-centric digital first organisations and the technology ecosystem gained over a 20-year international career, brings a wealth of experience to the Board. Elena’s most recent role was Managing Director Europe Digital at Entain plc and before that she was Executive Vice President of International at Remitly, a leading disruptor in the app first digital remittance space, appointed to internationalise, scale and drive company growth as a leading digital money transfer provider. Prior to this, Elena held senior tech product and general management positions at Expedia Inc. She also brings an invaluable strategic perspective from her time spent in the management consulting role at Strategy& (part of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP) as well as a strong financial acumen from her risk and debt finance roles at Barclays PLC. Elena is a strong advocate for diversity and inclusion in the technology sector and is a member of the ‘Women in Payments Group’ and the Worshipful Company of International Bankers. She is a regular speaker at technology summits and forums. Elena has hired, scaled and managed multi-culture, ethnic, gender diverse pan-European teams and implemented a number of diversity and inclusion initiatives across the organisations she has worked in.

Key external appointments:

None

Darren Pope

Darren Pope

Independent Non-Executive Director

Board committee membership

Joined the Group:

October 2018

Skills, experience and contribution:

  • Extensive retail banking and financial services background
  • Significant board level strategic and financial leadership experience including investor relations, strategy, corporate development, treasury & finance
  • Governance and deep regulatory experience
  • Strong experience of boards at both executive and non executive level

Darren brings considerable and highly relevant experience in retail banking and financial services from a career spanning more than 30 years during which he held senior and board level positions as a Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and finance director. His in-depth understanding of financial and risk matters and experience of managing relations with investors and regulators allows him to provide valuable input to board discussions. Darren has strong experience of board governance including as a senior independent director and as chair of audit committees. At Network International Holdings plc Darren has led for the board on the development and monitoring of all components of the ESG strategy and has provided input to the ESG strategies of other boards he is involved in. His previous appointments include Senior Independent Director and Chair of the Audit Committee of Equiniti Group plc and CFO of TSB Bank plc where he led the divestment of the TSB business from Lloyds Bank plc and its subsequent IPO and takeover. Prior to that he held several executive and senior retail banking and finance roles at Lloyds Banking Group plc.

Key external appointments:

Senior Independent Director and Chair of the Audit Committee at Network International Holdings plc; Non-Executive Chairman at HSBC Innovation Bank Limited and Non-Executive Director and Chair of the Audit Committee at Hargreaves Lansdown plc.

Tim Wade

Tim Wade

Senior Independent Non-Executive Director

Board committee membership

Joined the Group:

September 2016

Skills, experience and contribution:

  • Deep financial services experience including banking and insurance
  • Considerable board experience including as an audit committee chair
  • Deep knowledge of accounting, auditing and associated regulatory issues
  • Chartered accountant and experienced Chief Financial Officer

Tim’s background as an experienced Chief Financial Officer (CFO), his breadth of financial services experience and the industry knowledge he has gained from over 20 years at both executive and non-executive director level is excellent grounding for his role as Chair of the Audit Committee. His extensive accounting, financial services audit, prudential oversight and corporate governance knowledge, including considerable experience as an audit committee chair, strengthen the Board. Tim’s current roles are within companies in the financial services industry which have detailed commitments and programmes of work relating to ESG matters. His previous non-executive director roles include Macquarie Bank International Limited, Friends Life Group Limited, Monitise plc, The Access Bank UK Limited and Chubb Underwriting Agencies Limited. He was a Managing Director at AMP Group, responsible for both its Bank and the Virgin Direct (now Virgin Money) joint venture. Earlier in his career he was Group CFO at Colonial Limited in Melbourne, Australia where he oversaw the company’s IPO and was involved in its acquisition by Commonwealth Bank.

Key external appointments:

Non-Executive Director and Chair of the Audit Committee of RBC Europe Limited; Non-Executive Director of QBE Europe SA / NV, QBE Underwriting Limited and QBE UK Limited; and Senior Independent Director and Chair of the Audit Committee of ClearBank Group Holdings Limited.

Sara Weller

Sara Weller

Non-Executive Director

Board committee membership

Joined the Group:

October 2022

Skills, experience and contribution:

  • A broad perspective coming from a background in retail, fast moving consumer goods and financial services
  • Strong board experience at both executive and non-executive level
  • Extensive business leadership experience in the UK and internationally

Sara is the Representative Director of Virgin Enterprises Limited.

Sara is an independent non-executive director of BT Group plc (BT) and a member of BT's Audit & Risk and Nominations committees and she chairs the Responsible Business Committee. This committee develops and oversees BT’s business approach to sustainability including environmental commitments, diversity targets and social inclusion programmes. Sara is Chair of the Money and Pensions Service, an arm’s length body of the Department for Work and Pensions focused on improving financial capability and decision making of those most in need of help. Sara is also currently Chair of the Remuneration Committee at New College, University of Oxford.. Sara's previous roles include managing director of Argos and various senior positions at J Sainsbury, including deputy managing director and serving on its board between 2002 and 2004. Sara was a Non-Executive Director of Lloyds Banking Group from February 2012 to May 2021,United Utilities Group from March 2012 to July 2020 and she was also a member of the Stop MS Campaign Board, part of the MS Society until July 2023. She was also the lead non-executive director at the Department for Work and Pensions from April 2017 until April 2020. She has also previously been a Non-Executive Director of Mitchells & Butlers and held senior management roles at Abbey National and Mars Confectionery.

Key external appointments:

Independent Non-Executive Director of BT Group plc, Chair of the Money and Pensions Service board and Chair of the Remuneration Committee at New College, University of Oxford.

David Duffy

David Duffy

Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer

Joined the Group:

June 2015

Skills, experience and contribution:

  • Extensive retail and commercial banking experience in the UK and internationally built over a period of more than 30 years
  • Significant strategic and financial leadership experience including strategic planning & development, business & cultural transformation
  • Proven ability to build and lead strong management teams
  • Deep industry understanding and credibility with key stakeholders

David has significant international banking experience in developed and emerging markets, gained from a career spanning over three decades. During his career David has lived and worked in Europe, the Americas, Asia and Africa. He brings deep industry understanding to the Board as well as strong executive leadership which is critical to his role as Chief Executive Officer (CEO). His drive, energy and commitment to customers as well as his proven ability to build and lead strong management teams and transform businesses brings significant value to all of Virgin Money’s stakeholders. David is committed to driving positive social and environmental impacts across all areas of Virgin Money, further supported by his role as Senior Independent Director (SID), Nominations and Remuneration Committee Chair and Appeals Committee Chair of UK Finance Limited, advocating firms to embed climate responsibility into their governance and strategy.

Prior to joining the Group, David was appointed to the role of CEO at Allied Irish Banks plc by the Irish Government where he led the restructuring and recovery of AIB following the financial crisis. David was also previously the CEO of Standard Bank International where he had responsibility for operations in the UK, Europe, Latin America and Asia. Prior to this role David was the Head of Global Wholesale Banking Network with ING Group with responsibility for all regional CEOs in the global network and President and Chief Executive of the ING wholesale franchises in the United States and Latin America.

David was previously a member of TheCityUK Advisory Council, a past president of the Banking and Payments Federation of Ireland, a former Director of the European Banking Federation and previously held the role of HM Treasury Fintech Envoy for England, supporting the Chancellor and the late Her Majesty’s Treasury by advocating the Fintech industry across England.

External appointments:

David is Senior Independent Director of UK Finance Limited, Nominations and Remuneration Committee Chair and Appeals Committee Chair of UK Finance Limited, the industry body representing leading firms providing finance, banking, markets and payments-related services in or from the UK, and a Board member of The Northern Powerhouse Partnership.

Clifford Abrahams

Clifford Abrahams

Executive Director and Chief Financial Officer

Joined the Group:

March 2021

Skills, experience and contribution:

  • Extensive international executive experience at leading financial services businesses
  • Deep experience as Chief Financial Officer
  • Significant strategic and financial experience, including on integration and digital transformation

Clifford brings extensive executive experience across international financial services to the Board. His broad knowledge gained as a Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of publicly listed financial services companies is of great value to the Board. Clifford’s proven track record of delivery of commercial results, risk management and business change and development including digital propositions is crucial to supporting Virgin Money in the delivery of its strategy. Clifford is responsible for financial management and reporting, strategy, investor relations and sustainability. Prior to joining Virgin Money, Clifford was Group CFO at ABN AMRO Bank having joined in that role in 2017. Previous roles include Group CFO at the Dutch insurer Delta Lloyd Group, ten years at Aviva in several senior financial roles including CFO of Aviva Investors, CFO of UK & Ireland Life Insurance and CFO of UK & Ireland General Insurance. In the early part of his career Clifford spent 12 years at Morgan Stanley in the Financial Institutions Group, most latterly as Managing Director.

Key external appointments:

None

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