Board of Directors

Age 64. Joined the Board in June 2000 and became Non-Executive Chairman in July 2005. He was appointed Non-Executive Director of British Land PLC in September 2008 and in December 2009, was appointed Non-Executive Chairman of New Look with effect from 1 January 2010. Previously, he was an Executive Director of Tesco PLC until he retired in February 2004. He was Chairman of Gallaher Group PLC until April 2007 and Chairman of EMI Group PLC until September 2007. Prior to this he was a Non-Executive Director of Vodafone Group PLC from 1998 to 2000.

John Gildersleeve

Non-Executive Chairman

Age 44. Founder and Chief Executive Officer of the Group since 1989. He is also responsible for new business development and strategic initiatives. He is a Non-Executive Director of The Daily Mail and General Trust PLC and Independent Media Distribution PLC. He is Chairman of The Prince’s Trust Trading Board and a member of its Council. He is also a Director of Best Buy Europe Distributions Limited, the Group’s joint venture with Best Buy.

Charles Dunstone

Chief Executive Officer

Age 44. Chief Financial Officer of the Group since January 2000. He is responsible for controlling the Group’s finance function, financial reporting and procedures. He also manages the Group’s investor relations and corporate finance function and is responsible for corporate development and strategic initiatives. He is also a Director of Best Buy Europe Distributions Limited, the Group’s joint venture with Best Buy.

Roger Taylor ACA

Chief Financial Officer

Age 77. Joined the Board in January 2001 and is the Senior Independent Director. A senior advisor to Morgan Stanley, he is also a Non-Executive Director of Singapore Airlines Limited and Virgin Atlantic Airways Limited. He retired in 2001 from Lloyds TSB Group PLC, where he was Chief Executive for 13 years and Chairman for four years. He was also Chairman of NEXT PLC from 1998 to 2002 and a Non-Executive Director of Tomkins PLC from June 2000 to June 2007. In May 2008, he retired from ITV PLC, where he served as Non-Executive Director for four years; prior to this he was a Non-Executive Director of Carlton Communications PLC from March 1998.

Sir Brian Pitman

Non-Executive Director

Age 55. Joined the Board in September 2005. He is an Executive Director of Ingenious Media PLC, a specialist media investment and advisory group. He is Chairman of Rajar Limited, the radio research company owned by the BBC and Commercial Radio, and of 1700 Group PLC, a recruitment company specialising in media. He was previously Chief Executive of Capital Radio PLC and latterly GCap Media PLC, the UK’s largest commercial radio company. He is a fellow of the Radio Academy, a member of the London Business School Enterprise 100 Group and a visiting fellow of the University of Oxford.

David Mansfield

Non-Executive Director

Age 49. Joined the Board in November 2005. From November 2001 until May 2005, she was Director of Government Relations at 10 Downing Street. Prior to this she was Political Secretary to the Prime Minister from 1997 to 2001, and was appointed Minister for Women and Equalities in 2001. In 2006 she was appointed a Board Member of the Olympic Delivery Authority and was also appointed as a Non-Executive Director of Southern Cross Healthcare Group PLC. She is Advisor to the Board of the children’s charity ARK and a member of the Lloyds Pharmacy Advisory Panel.

Baroness Morgan
of Huyton

Non-Executive Director

Age 54. Joined the Board in April 2007. He was Chief Financial Officer of Reuters Group PLC until May 2008. Prior to joining Reuters in 2000, he was Group Finance Director of Emap PLC and Chairman of Emap Digital. In October 2009, David was appointed a Non-Executive of Standard Life plc, and in November 2009 he was appointed a Non-Executive Director of Creston PLC and will become Chairman with effect from 1 April 2010.

David Grigson ACA

Non-Executive Director

Responsible for all the Group's legal matters in the UK and across Europe including acquisitions, corporate governance and company secretarial matters. Previously a partner at DLA. He is also a Director of the Company’s Joint Venture with Best Buy Europe and Virgin Mobile in France.

Tim Morris

Group Director
Legal Affairs and
Company Secretary