Our leadership

Skills and experience:

Jeff brings substantial international finance experience to the Board, particularly within the consumer and retail sectors. Until the end of March 2024, Jeff served as CFO of Reckitt Benckiser Group plc, a British multinational consumer goods company with operations in over 60 countries and a large number of globally trusted household brands and products. Jeff also held an executive finance role with Reckitt earlier in his career. Prior to joining Reckitt, Jeff was CFO of Koninklijke Ahold Delhaize N.V. (Ahold Delhaize), one of the world’s largest retail groups. Jeff was also previously Group Finance Director at both FirstGroup plc and easyJet plc, and held a senior finance role at Associated British Foods plc, as well as a non-executive director role at McBride plc.

External appointments:

- Tate and Lyle plc - Non-Executive Director and Remuneration Committee Chair

Appointed:

June 2018

Skills and experience:

Stephen is an experienced FTSE 100 CFO and audit committee chair and brings a wealth of financial and commercial expertise to the Board along with a deep understanding of UK-listed and international business. He is currently CFO at Ocado and was previously CFO of Rolls-Royce from 2017 to 2021. He has also served as Non-Executive Director and member of the Audit and Compliance Committee at 3i Group plc for the last nine years, including as Committee Chair since 2023. His other prior experience includes a range of executive roles including CFO of DMGT plc, COO and CFO of Dow Jones, and CFO of News International. He holds a BA in Economics and Accounting and qualified as a Chartered Accountant at Price Waterhouse in 1988.

External appointments:
- Ocado plc – Chief Financial Officer
- 3i Group plc – Non-Executive Director and Audit and Compliance Committee Chair

Appointed:

April 2026

Skills and experience:

Bill brings substantial industry experience to the Board, having spent 26 years at The Home Depot, Inc., the largest home improvement company in the world, where he had an outstanding track record of delivery supporting their remarkable growth during this period. Bill was most recently Executive Vice President, Outside Sales and Services at Home Depot and retired in 2021. During his time there, he held many senior leadership roles including President, Canada and Senior Vice President, International Merchandising, Private Brands, and Global Sourcing. Bill has a deep knowledge of merchandising and global sourcing, and experience in developing successful trade and services strategies. Before his time at Home Depot, Bill was merchandising manager for Lowe’s Companies Inc. and millwork plant manager for Menards Inc.

External appointments:

None.

Appointed:

May 2022

Representative to the Kingfisher Colleague Forum:

From June 2025

Skills and experience:

Lucinda is a highly experienced non-executive director, having served in several roles as board chair and remuneration committee chair across multiple sectors. Prior to becoming a non-executive director, Lucinda had an executive career in investment banking at UBS where she was Global Head of Equity Capital Markets and a member of the board of UBS Investment Bank. Her previous non-executive director roles include Ashtead Group plc, CRH plc, ICG Enterprise Trust plc, the British Standards Institution, Diverse Income Trust plc and UK Financial Investments Ltd. 

External appointments:

- Greencoat UK Wind plc - Non-Executive Chair and Nomination Committee Chair

- Peel Hunt Limited - Non-Executive Chair and Nomination Committee Chair

Appointed:

January 2025

Skills and experience:

lan has over 40 years retail experience including 20 years in CEO positions leading multi-billion dollar publicly traded or private equity-owned companies around the world, developing specialist expertise in leading business transformation and change management programmes globally.

lan’s leadership and board experience includes businesses such as Asda and Halfords in the UK, Walmart International as well as Carrefour in the Middle East. His CEO roles include Coles Retail Group in Australia, Southeastern Grocers in the United States and more recently the DFI Retail Group based in Hong Kong with stores across 13 Asian markets, including key market franchises for IKEA, 7-Eleven and Starbucks. In 2010, lan was awarded an Honorary Doctorate in his native Scotland for his contributions to business and retail.

External appointments:

- Quadria Capital - Operating Partner

- Alvarez & Marsal, US - Consultant Advisor

January 2025

Skills and experience:

Lucinda is a highly experienced non-executive director, having served in several roles as board chair and remuneration committee chair across multiple sectors. Prior to becoming a non-executive director, Lucinda had an executive career in investment banking at UBS where she was Global Head of Equity Capital Markets and a member of the board of UBS Investment Bank. Her previous non-executive director roles include Ashtead Group plc, CRH plc, ICG Enterprise Trust plc, the British Standards Institution, Diverse Income Trust plc and UK Financial Investments Ltd. 

External appointments:

- Greencoat UK Wind plc - Non-Executive Chair and Nomination Committee Chair

- Peel Hunt Limited - Non-Executive Chair and Nomination Committee Chair

Appointed:

January 2025

Skills and experience:

Jeff brings substantial international finance experience to the Board, particularly within the consumer and retail sectors. Until the end of March 2024, Jeff served as CFO of Reckitt Benckiser Group plc, a British multinational consumer goods company with operations in over 60 countries and a large number of globally trusted household brands and products. Jeff also held an executive finance role with Reckitt earlier in his career. Prior to joining Reckitt, Jeff was CFO of Koninklijke Ahold Delhaize N.V. (Ahold Delhaize), one of the world’s largest retail groups. Jeff was also previously Group Finance Director at both FirstGroup plc and easyJet plc, and held a senior finance role at Associated British Foods plc, as well as a non-executive director role at McBride plc.

External appointments:

- Tate and Lyle plc - Non-Executive Director and Remuneration Committee Chair

Appointed:

June 2018

Skills and experience:

Sophie brings to the Board expertise in strategy, brand and international retail markets as well as substantial experience in business transformation and digital capabilities, having held a number of senior leadership positions at L’Oréal, including managing director of L’Oréal UK & Ireland, and Executive Chair and Global Chief Executive Officer of The Body Shop, as well as 12 years as Non-Executive Director at Accor where she chaired the Nominations, Remunerations and CSR Committee.

External appointments:

- Givaudan S.A - Lead Independent Director and Nomination and Governance Committee Chair

- Cimpress plc - Independent Director and Nominating Committee Chair

- Boston Consulting Group - Senior Advisor

Appointed:

December 2018

Skills and experience:

Bill brings substantial industry experience to the Board, having spent 26 years at The Home Depot, Inc., the largest home improvement company in the world, where he had an outstanding track record of delivery supporting their remarkable growth during this period. Bill was most recently Executive Vice President, outside sales and services at Home Depot and retired in 2021. During his time there, he held many senior leadership roles including President, Canada and Senior Vice President, International Merchandising, Private Brands, and Global Sourcing. Bill has a deep knowledge of merchandising and global sourcing, and experience in developing successful trade and services strategies. Before his time at Home Depot, Bill was merchandising manager for Lowe’s Companies Inc. and millwork plant manager for Menards Inc.

External appointments:

None.

Appointed:

May 2022

Representative to the Kingfisher Colleague Forum:

From June 2025

Skills and experience:

Claudia brings a wealth of experience of business transformation and building digital capabilities to the Board having previously held multiple non-executive roles, including Chair of Deliveroo plc, interim Chair of the Premier League, Senior Independent Director of Telecity Group plc, Chair of the Remuneration Committee at Halfords plc, Non-Executive Director at Ocado Group plc, and Governance Committee Chair at Aviva plc. Claudia began her career at McKinsey & Company, before holding roles at Pearson, the Financial Times, Goldman Sachs, and HM Treasury. She was also Group Managing Director, Digital at EMAP.

External appointments:

- Panel on Takeovers and Mergers - Member

- Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport - Lead Non-Executive Board Member

Appointed:

November 2018

Skills and experience:

Jeff brings substantial international finance experience to the Board, particularly within the consumer and retail sectors. Until the end of March 2024, Jeff served as CFO of Reckitt Benckiser Group plc, a British multinational consumer goods company with operations in over 60 countries and a large number of globally trusted household brands and products. Jeff also held an executive finance role with Reckitt earlier in his career. Prior to joining Reckitt, Jeff was CFO of Koninklijke Ahold Delhaize N.V. (Ahold Delhaize), one of the world’s largest retail groups. Jeff was also previously Group Finance Director at both FirstGroup plc and easyJet plc, and held a senior finance role at Associated British Foods plc, as well as a non-executive director role at McBride plc.

External appointments:

- Tate and Lyle plc - Non-Executive Director and Remuneration Committee Chair

Appointed:

June 2018

Skills and experience:

Stephen is an experienced FTSE 100 CFO and audit committee chair and brings a wealth of financial and commercial expertise to the Board along with a deep understanding of UK-listed and international business. He is currently CFO at Ocado and was previously CFO of Rolls-Royce from 2017 to 2021. He has also served as Non-Executive Director and member of the Audit and Compliance Committee at 3i Group plc for the last nine years, including as Committee Chair since 2023. His other prior experience includes a range of executive roles including CFO of DMGT plc, COO and CFO of Dow Jones, and CFO of News International. He holds a BA in Economics and Accounting and qualified as a Chartered Accountant at Price Waterhouse in 1988.

External appointments:
- Ocado plc – Chief Financial Officer
- 3i Group plc – Non-Executive Director and Audit and Compliance Committee Chair

Appointed:

April 2026

Skills and experience:

Sophie brings to the Board expertise in strategy, brand and international retail markets as well as substantial experience in business transformation and digital capabilities, having held a number of senior leadership positions at L’Oréal, including managing director of L’Oréal UK & Ireland, and Executive Chair and Global Chief Executive Officer of The Body Shop, as well as 12 years as Non-Executive Director at Accor where she chaired the Nominations, Remunerations and CSR Committee.

External appointments:

- Givaudan S.A - Lead Independent Director and Nomination and Governance Committee Chair

- Cimpress plc - Independent Director and Nominating Committee Chair

- Boston Consulting Group - Senior Advisor

Appointed:

December 2018

Skills and experience:

Bill brings substantial industry experience to the Board, having spent 26 years at The Home Depot, Inc., the largest home improvement company in the world, where he had an outstanding track record of delivery supporting their remarkable growth during this period. Bill was most recently Executive Vice President, outside sales and services at Home Depot and retired in 2021. During his time there, he held many senior leadership roles including President, Canada and Senior Vice President, International Merchandising, Private Brands, and Global Sourcing. Bill has a deep knowledge of merchandising and global sourcing, and experience in developing successful trade and services strategies. Before his time at Home Depot, Bill was merchandising manager for Lowe’s Companies Inc. and millwork plant manager for Menards Inc.

External appointments:

None.

Appointed:

May 2022

Representative to the Kingfisher Colleague Forum:

From June 2025

Skills and experience:

lan has over 40 years retail experience including 20 years in CEO positions leading multi-billion dollar publicly traded or private equity-owned companies around the world, developing specialist expertise in leading business transformation and change management programmes globally.

lan’s leadership and board experience includes businesses such as Asda and Halfords in the UK, Walmart International as well as Carrefour in the Middle East. His CEO roles include Coles Retail Group in Australia, Southeastern Grocers in the United States and more recently the DFI Retail Group based in Hong Kong with stores across 13 Asian markets, including key market franchises for IKEA, 7-Eleven and Starbucks. In 2010, lan was awarded an Honorary Doctorate in his native Scotland for his contributions to business and retail.

External appointments:

- Quadria Capital - Operating Partner

- Alvarez & Marsal, US - Consultant Advisor

January 2025

Skills and experience:

Lucinda is a highly experienced non-executive director, having served in several roles as board chair and remuneration committee chair across multiple sectors. Prior to becoming a non-executive director, Lucinda had an executive career in investment banking at UBS where she was Global Head of Equity Capital Markets and a member of the board of UBS Investment Bank. Her previous non-executive director roles include Ashtead Group plc, CRH plc, ICG Enterprise Trust plc, the British Standards Institution, Diverse Income Trust plc and UK Financial Investments Ltd. 

External appointments:

- Greencoat UK Wind plc - Non-Executive Chair and Nomination Committee Chair

- Peel Hunt Limited - Non-Executive Chair and Nomination Committee Chair

Appointed:

January 2025

Skills and experience:

Sophie brings to the Board expertise in strategy, brand and international retail markets as well as substantial experience in business transformation and digital capabilities, having held a number of senior leadership positions at L’Oréal, including managing director of L’Oréal UK & Ireland, and Executive Chair and Global Chief Executive Officer of The Body Shop, as well as 12 years as Non-Executive Director at Accor where she chaired the Nominations, Remunerations and CSR Committee.

External appointments:

- Givaudan S.A - Lead Independent Director and Nomination and Governance Committee Chair

- Cimpress plc - Independent Director and Nominating Committee Chair

- Boston Consulting Group - Senior Advisor

Appointed:

December 2018

Skills and experience:

Thierry spent 20 years in senior roles at Carrefour, the French multi-national retailer. Before joining Kingfisher, he was a member of the Carrefour Group Executive Committee and CEO of Carrefour Asia. From 2003 to 2008, Thierry was the Managing Director of Supermarkets for Carrefour France. Following his success in this role he became CEO of Carrefour International and a member of the Group Executive Committee in 2008, where he became responsible for operations in Asia, Latin America and various European countries. In 2016, Thierry was awarded the Chevalier de l’Ordre National de la Légion d’Honneur (France).

External appointments:

- Tesco plc - Non-Executive Director

- EDRA/GHIN (the European DIY Retail Association and the Global Home Improvement Network) - Member of the Board

Appointed:

September 2019

Skills and experience:

Lucinda is a highly experienced non-executive director, having served in several roles as board chair and remuneration committee chair across multiple sectors. Prior to becoming a non-executive director, Lucinda had an executive career in investment banking at UBS where she was Global Head of Equity Capital Markets and a member of the board of UBS Investment Bank. Her previous non-executive director roles include Ashtead Group plc, CRH plc, ICG Enterprise Trust plc, the British Standards Institution, Diverse Income Trust plc and UK Financial Investments Ltd. 

External appointments:

- Greencoat UK Wind plc - Non-Executive Chair and Nomination Committee Chair

- Peel Hunt Limited - Non-Executive Chair and Nomination Committee Chair

Appointed:

January 2025

Expertise and experience: 

Kate is an experienced professional with a breadth of retail and transformation skills, built on an international career in human resources. Kate joined Kingfisher from Costa Coffee, the coffeehouse chain owned by Coca-Cola, where she was Chief People Officer. Kate led Costa’s global people strategy, with a focus on building the right organisation and capabilities to drive change and support the business’ growth plans. Before this she also held senior HR roles at Diageo and Shell.

Appointed: 

February 2020

Skills and experience:

Bill brings substantial industry experience to the Board, having spent 26 years at The Home Depot, Inc., the largest home improvement company in the world, where he had an outstanding track record of delivery supporting their remarkable growth during this period. Bill was most recently Executive Vice President, Outside Sales and Services at Home Depot and retired in 2021. During his time there, he held many senior leadership roles including President, Canada and Senior Vice President, International Merchandising, Private Brands, and Global Sourcing. Bill has a deep knowledge of merchandising and global sourcing, and experience in developing successful trade and services strategies. Before his time at Home Depot, Bill was merchandising manager for Lowe’s Companies Inc. and millwork plant manager for Menards Inc.

External appointments:

None.

Appointed:

May 2022

Representative to the Kingfisher Colleague Forum:

From June 2025

Experience and Expertise:

John is an experienced retailer who has been instrumental in Screwfix’s growth, having joined 11 years ago as marketing and ecommerce director. John has also served as Group Digital Director at Kingfisher, helping to implement Screwfix’s technology expertise across the business and retail brands, before returning to Screwfix as CEO in October 2018. Prior to his time at Kingfisher, John worked for Dixons Carphone across various roles, including operations, commercial and marketing, for more than 20 years.

Appointed:

2018 (joined 2008)

Skills and experience:

Thierry spent 20 years in senior roles at Carrefour, the French multi-national retailer. Before joining Kingfisher, he was a member of the Carrefour Group Executive Committee and CEO of Carrefour Asia. From 2003 to 2008, Thierry was the Managing Director of Supermarkets for Carrefour France. Following his success in this role he became CEO of Carrefour International and a member of the Group Executive Committee in 2008, where he became responsible for operations in Asia, Latin America and various European countries. In 2016, Thierry was awarded the Chevalier de l’Ordre National de la Légion d’Honneur (France).

External appointments:

- Tesco plc - Non-Executive Director

- EDRA/GHIN (the European DIY Retail Association and the Global Home Improvement Network) - Member of the Board

Appointed:

September 2019

Expertise and Experience:

Graham has spent over 20 years at Kingfisher, during which time he has held several senior roles across the business. As CEO of Screwfix, he oversaw the significant expansion of its store network across the UK. Prior to that, Graham led Screwfix’s operations and property for 10 years as Property Director. His previous roles at B&Q include Property Director and HR Director. Graham took accountability for the Group Centres of Excellence for Store Concepts and Services, Trade and Property in April 2024. 

Appointed:

2018 (joined 1998)

Expertise and Experience:

Chris is an experienced technologist, having held positions in various industry sectors, managing worldwide Product, Engineering, and Technology departments. Before joining Kingfisher, Chris served as the Chief Technology Officer for Research Products at RELX Elsevier and was part of Thomson Reuters R&D Labs in Switzerland, focusing on the application of innovative technology.

Appointed:

April 2024

Expertise and Experience:

Sapna is an experienced General Counsel with an international career across multiple sectors, including FMCG, consumer health and pharmaceuticals. Sapna joined Kingfisher from Reckitt, where she was Senior Vice President and General Counsel for the company's global Health business and held responsibility for material litigation and investigations on a Group-wide basis. She previously held various other senior legal positions at Reckitt and at AstraZeneca, following several years at the law firm Davis Polk in London and New York specialising in global mergers and acquisitions and other complex transactions. She is dual qualified in England and Wales and New York State. 

External Appointments:

Sapna is a Board Trustee and Chair of the Audit, Risk and Assurance Committee at UK homelessness charity Crisis. 

Appointed:

October 2023

Expertise and Experience:

Pascal has been part of Kingfisher Group since 2003, where he started his career as a Store Manager in Castorama France. Prior to joining the Kingfisher Group, Pascal spent eight years at Decathlon France. In 2008 Pascal joined Brico Dépôt Iberia as Operations Director, and later became CEO. In 2015, Pascal took the position of Retail Operations Director at Brico Dépôt France and in June 2020, he became the CEO.

Pascal was appointed as CEO of Castorama Poland in April 2022 and following his success in leading Brico Dépôt in France and Castorama Poland, Pascal was appointed CEO of Castorama France in April 2024. 

Appointed:

April 2024 (joined 2003)

Experience and Expertise:

John is an experienced retailer who has been instrumental in Screwfix’s growth, having joined 11 years ago as marketing and ecommerce director. John has also served as Group Digital Director at Kingfisher, helping to implement Screwfix’s technology expertise across the business and retail brands, before returning to Screwfix as CEO in October 2018. Prior to his time at Kingfisher, John worked for Dixons Carphone across various roles, including operations, commercial and marketing, for more than 20 years. John Mewett assumed GE responsibility for Iberia in April 2024, supporting Iberia CEO Chris Bargate.

Appointed:

2018 (joined 2008)

Skills and experience:

Bhavesh brings extensive finance and retail experience gained in senior roles across a range of listed businesses, most recently at British Land, where he served as CFO from 2021. Prior to joining British Land, Bhavesh was Deputy Chief Financial Officer at Tesco PLC. He has previously held senior finance and strategy roles in a range of consumer-facing businesses, including Whitbread Hotels and Restaurants, Anheuser Busch InBev and Virgin Media. Bhavesh qualified as a Chartered Accountant with KPMG and holds an MBA from London Business School.

Appointed:

January 2025

Expertise and experience: 

Kate is an experienced professional with a breadth of retail and transformation skills, built on an international career in human resources. Kate joined Kingfisher from Costa Coffee, the coffeehouse chain owned by Coca-Cola, where she was Chief People Officer. Kate led Costa’s global people strategy, with a focus on building the right organisation and capabilities to drive change and support the business’ growth plans. Before this she also held senior HR roles at Diageo and Shell.

Appointed: 

February 2020

Experience and expertise:

As Chief Commercial Officer, Deba brings a wealth of experience in large multinational environments across multiple continents and markets. Before joining Kingfisher, she was the Chief Executive Officer at HMTX Industries, a leading US global flooring manufacturer. Prior to this, she spent over 26 years at 3M Co, during which she held the role of President, Home Improvement, Consumer Safety & Wellbeing most recently and prior to that as President, Abrasive Systems Division.

External appointments:

Deba is currently an Independent Director for both Nortech Systems Inc. in the USA and OneSource Limited in India along with serving on the Board of Trustees for The Center for Victims of Torture (CVT), an international non-profit organisation.

Experience and expertise:

Nils brings extensive retail experience, having most recently served as CEO of Decathlon Poland. He has held a number of senior leadership roles at Decathlon over two decades across both Europe and Asia, including CEO of Decathlon Bulgaria, Managing Director of Decathlon Singapore and senior finance positions in Decathlon Asia and Decathlon Europe.

Appointed:

September 2024

Experience and expertise:

Laurent has two decades of experience in the home improvement sector. He started his career at Saint Gobain (Lapeyre) where he rose to become Category Director for Kitchens. In 2010 Laurent joined the Kingfisher Group and Brico Dépôt France as Category Director for Building, followed by the Kitchen, Bathroom and Storage (KBS) and Surfaces & Décor categories. In 2014 Laurent was appointed General Manager of Kingfisher’s Hong Kong office, managing all Kingfisher’s sourcing activities in China and Southeast Asia. In 2016, Laurent joined the Offer and Sourcing team in London, becoming Group Category Director in charge of the KBS category. From 2020 Laurent was appointed as Group Global Sourcing Director, leading all sourcing activities, product development and packaging teams. In March 2022 he was appointed CEO of Brico Dépôt France.

Appointed:

September 2024