Leadership Team

Mark Hodges is the Chairman of the Company and has over 30 years’ experience across the financial services and consumer sectors, including extensive FTSE 100 board experience with Centrica plc and Aviva plc. As former CEO of ReAssure, whose strategy was to be the leading closed book life consolidator in its chosen markets, Mark led the business through the £425m acquisition of Quilter’s UK Heritage business and oversaw the sale of Reassure to Phoenix Group Holdings in 2020 for £3.25 billion. At the time of the sale, ReAssure had approximately £80 billion of assets, 4 million customers and approximately 2,500 employees.

Previously, Mark was CEO of Centrica’s £11 billion revenue consumer division, which included British Gas in the UK, Bord Gais in Ireland, Direct Energy in the US and Hive globally. Mark was hired from outside the energy sector as a change agent to simplify and modernise the business to make it more efficient, more customer-focused and less product-led. His mandate included the improvement of digital channels, the growth of new revenue streams, and driving cultural change. During his tenure, Mark oversaw growth in the Hive customer base from approximately 200,000 customers to more than 1.3 million.

Before this, Mark led Towergate Insurance, a 5,000-employee business with revenue of more than £400 million and serving approximately 2 million customers. Mark was responsible for formulating group strategy, and oversaw the acquisition of 50 specialist insurance businesses. He significantly bolstered the management at senior levels, oversaw the complete rebuild of governance and operational control frameworks to bring in line with regulatory standards, and carried out a fundamental operational restructuring, including the establishment of a market leading 400 person contact centre in Manchester.

Mark previously spent more than 20 years with Aviva (previously Norwich Union) across a variety of senior finance, planning and strategy roles, culminating as a group board director. As CEO of Aviva UK, he led a business with annual revenues of £15 billion, £1.4 billion in operating profits, and approximately 20,000 staff. Mark’s highlights at Aviva include the acquisition of RAC in 2005, overseeing the brand change from Norwich Union to Aviva and the creation of the largest composite insurer in the UK. This created significant annual cost savings; a return to growth by the General Insurance business; a UK Life turnaround improving growth, profitability and customer service; and improved people engagement. During his tenure with Norwich Union, Mark was involved in its demutualisation and flotation in 1997, the acquisition of London & Edinburgh in 1998, and the merger with CGU to form Aviva in 2000.

Will Self is the Chief Executive Officer of the Company and has extensive experience across pension and retirement services sectors. Previously Will was Chief Executive Officer of Curtis Banks Group PLC and prior to this he was Chief Executive Officer of Suffolk Life and Chief Commercial Officer of Cofunds, both divisions of Legal & General.

As Chief Executive Officer he will be responsible, alongside the Board, for leading the development and execution of the overall company strategy.

During his time at Suffolk Life, Will led one of the SIPP industry’s first consolidation initiatives integrating the “Full” SIPP book from Pointon York in 2012. He then led the merger with Curtis Banks in 2016 and subsequent integration to a single brand and operating model. In 2020 Will led the acquisition of Talbut and Muir for total consideration of up to £25.25m funded by a split debt and equity raise.

Will is also a Trustee of the Seckford Foundation and serves as Deputy Chair to the FCA Small Business Practitioner Panel. Will holds an MBA from Cranfield School of Management.

Vinoy Nursiah is an accomplished CFO with over 10 years of senior leadership experience across private equity-backed wealth management, corporate service providers, investment banking and central counterparty clearing.

Vinoy’s areas of expertise include transformation, decision support, business growth, and strategic planning and delivery.

He has a demonstrable track record of developing and executing impactful strategic plans encompassing start-ups, scale-ups, acquisitions, integrations, global ERP implementations (including Oracle NetSuite across 40 entities), and successful exits. He has a strong history of building finance functions that move from report to decision support by focussing on people, processes and platforms.

Vinoy has a BSc in Physical Sciences from University College London and is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants. 

James brings extensive public company experience as well as management and corporate finance expertise across a range of sectors and an extensive network of relationships with co-investors, advisers, and other business leaders.

Previously he has served as a non-executive director of BCA Marketplace, Advanced Computer Software, and Breedon Aggregates; Chairman of Entertainment One; and as CEO of icollector Plc. James was educated at Oxford Brookes University, the Sorbonne, and Queen Mary University of London.

James is currently Managing Partner of Marwyn Capital LLP and Chief Investment Officer of Marwyn Investment Management LLP, an executive director of Silvercloud Holdings Limited and Palmer Street Limited, the chairman of MAC Alpha Limited and Marwyn Acquisition Company III, and a director of 450 Plc.

Martin is a highly experienced senior executive with 35 years' experience and particular expertise in financial services, specifically life & pensions, general and health insurance. His most recent executive role was as interim CFO for Bupa where he continues to chair the UK DB pension scheme and the Bupa Global subsidiary based in Ireland and serving customers across the EU.

Martin has significant experience of complex change in a variety of different scenarios, from established businesses (based in the UK and worldwide) impacted by regulatory change, to acquisitive concerns requiring structural transformation and cultural change.

Giovanni (John) has over 45 years' experience of working as an executive and non-executive with companies such as Legal & General, BUPA, Post Office Insurance, Tesco Bank, British Gas Insurance and Hastings Direct.

John is currently Non-Executive Chair of Dignity Funerals Limited, Honorary Chairman of Wide Group (Italy) and is the Senior Independent Director and Non-Executive Chair of risk for Markerstudy Group Holdings Limited.

Helen has over 35 years' experience in financial services, initially in fixed income capital markets, followed by an extensive career in institutional asset management focusing on investments for UK pension funds. She has worked for several global investment firms including Deutsche Asset Management, Invesco Perpetual, AllianceBernstein and State Street Global Advisors, in addition to a boutique hedge fund.

Helen currently serves as a non-executive director on the board of Nest Corporation. In addition, she holds the position of Trustee and Chair of the Investment Committee for DHL (UK) Foundation, overseeing the Foundation's portfolio of assets and is a Senior Advisor on the Advisory Committee for Catella APAM Capital Partners Limited with respect to Catella APAM Strategic Equities Fund I LP.

James Keely is the Chief Risk Officer of the Company and has extensive experience in the pensions, retirement, and insurance industry.

James was previously the Chief Risk Officer at Curtis Banks Group until January 2024. James was the FCA approved person for Risk, Compliance and the Money Laundering Reporting Officer for the regulated entities within the Group, three FCA approved pension providers and a PRA/FCA dual regulated insurance company.

James has over twenty years of experience in senior risk, governance and regulatory roles within the financial services sector, including significant involvement in various mergers and acquisitions of personal pension providers.

Allan Dibble is the Chief Commercial Officer of the Company and brings over 20 years of experience in post-merger integration and strategic transformation in financial services, primarily in the life insurance, savings, and retirement sectors.

Most recently, Allan served as Group Head of Transactions & Transitions at The Phoenix Group where he played a leading role in numerous M&A initiatives, including the acquisitions of Standard Life for £2.9bn in 2018, ReAssure for £3.2bn in 2020 and SLOC (UK) for £248m in 2023. He also has broad experience in operational transformation and post-deal M&A activities, including separations, integrations and strategic transformations.

As Chief Commercial Officer, Allan will be responsible for leading M&A and integrations for the Company and assist Will Self in the development of the Company.