Board & management
Our people are integral to the success of the business. Our leadership team combines a wealth of experience with a strong collegiate ethos that underpins our joined-up approach.
Listed Company Board
Lucinda Riches
Chair
Lucinda Riches
Experience
Lucinda Riches is the independent Non-Executive Chair of Peel Hunt. Lucinda joined the Board as Deputy Chair and SID in September 2021 and assumed the role of Chair following our AGM in 2022. Lucinda is also currently an independent non-executive director and chair of the remuneration committee at both Ashtead Group plc and Kingfisher plc, independent non-executive chair of Greencoat UK Wind plc and a non-executive director of LGT Capital Partners Group Holding Ltd. Prior to becoming a non-executive director, Lucinda had a 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 CRH plc, ICG Enterprise Trust plc, the British Standards Institution, Diverse Income Trust plc and UK Financial Investments Ltd. Lucinda’s deep understanding of our industry means that she is able to provide invaluable advice on our strategic objectives. Lucinda’s deep understanding of our industry means that she is able to provide invaluable advice on our strategic objectives.
Committees
Nomination (Chair)
Steven Fine
Chief Executive Officer
Steven Fine
Experience
Steven Fine is the Chief Executive Officer of Peel Hunt. He joined the business in 2006 and led the management and staff buy-out from KBC Bank in 2010. Prior to that he was a founder member of D. E. Shaw Securities International, which later became the core of KBC Financial Products. At KBC he managed the Japanese and Asian equity, convertible and derivatives operations in Tokyo. Steven is Deputy Chair of the FCA Markets Practitioner Panel whose key remit is to represent the interests of financial markets participants and to provide input to the FCA. He is also a non-executive director for the Quoted Companies Alliance, a membership organisation that champions the interests of medium- and small-sized quoted companies. He has been a judge for the Non-Executive Director Awards for over 15 years. Steven has an accountancy degree and also holds a certificate in corporate governance from INSEAD. Steven’s commitment to our partnership ethos, demonstrated by his collaborative management style and his transparent approach to communication, has contributed to Peel Hunt building successful long-term relationships with our clients and our people.
Committees
ESG (Member)
Sunil Dhall
Chief Financial & Operating Officer
Sunil Dhall
Experience
Sunil has been Chief Financial & Operating Officer of Peel Hunt since January 2010. Prior to this he was Global Head of Operational Risk at KBC Financial Products (KBCFP). He had a number of senior roles at KBCFP prior to this, including Credit Structurer for the Credit Products team and Head of Special Projects. Earlier in his career, Sunil has been an internal audit manager at Credit Suisse and an external auditor at Arthur Andersen. Sunil is also the Co-Chair of the UK Equity Markets Association, an association of investment banks with a unique focus on promoting vibrant and healthy equity markets for SMEs. Sunil is a chartered accountant with a degree in Engineering, Economics and Management from Keble College, University of Oxford.
Committees
ESG (Member)
Maria Bentley
Non-Executive and Senior Independent Director
Maria Bentley
Experience
Maria joined the Board of Peel Hunt as a Non-Executive Director in April 2022 and was appointed as Remuneration Committee Chair in August 2022 and Senior Independent Director in May 2023. Maria has over 40 years’ experience in financial services covering credit analysis, fixed income sales and Human Resources. She was Global Head of HR for Equities and Fixed Income at Goldman Sachs, Global Head of HR for UBS Investment Bank and Global Head of HR for Wholesale at Nomura International. She is also currently Chair of the Board and Chair of Nomination Committee at Daiwa Capital Markets Europe Limited and an independent non-executive director of RBC Global Asset Management (UK) Limited (where she also Chairs the Human Resources Committee). Maria’s strong sector experience, commercial approach and understanding of remuneration practices in financial services complements the range of skills of our other Directors.
Committees
Remuneration (Chair)
Audit, ESG, Nomination and Risk (Member)
Liz Blythe
Non-Executive Director
Liz Blythe
Experience
Liz joined the Board of Peel Hunt as an independent Non-Executive Director and Audit Committee Chair in 2020. She was Remuneration Committee Chair prior to Maria Bentley’s appointment. She is also currently chair and audit committee chair of Car Care Plan Holdings Limited. From 2018 to 2020 she was also a trustee at Lhasa Limited, a global software development company. Prior to becoming a non-executive director, Liz was Chief Internal Auditor at Skipton Building Society for almost 12 years, and Finance Director of Homeloan Management Limited for 13 years. In total, Liz has over 30 years of financial services experience, and is a qualified accountant, having trained at Ernst and Whinney (now Ernst & Young). Liz has a sound understanding of complex regulatory and business issues, and developing pragmatic solutions. Her considerable experience of internal and external audit matters is extremely helpful to ensure a sound control environment.
Committees
Audit (Chair)
Nomination, Remuneration and Risk (Member)
Richard Brearley
Non-Executive Director
Richard Brearley
Experience
Richard joined the Board of Peel Hunt as an independent Non-Executive Director in 2020. He is also Head of Compliance at Ninety One, joining from Macquarie, where he was Regional Head of Compliance in EMEA, spanning a wide range of business areas including asset management, sales and trading and investment banking. Prior to that he was Head of Compliance and Legal at Investec plc and Investec Bank, held senior positions in the Markets Division of the Financial Services Authority and was a corporate partner at law firm Nabarro Nathanson. He was previously a non-executive director of AIM-listed electronics business Datong plc and until 2012 was a member of the executive committee of GC100 (the general counsel association for the FTSE 100). Richard’s comprehensive understanding of our legal and regulatory environment means he is able to provide valuable guidance to the Board. He also has a wealth of experience with regulators and a deep understanding of our investment banking business.
Committees
ESG and Risk (Chair)
Audit, Nomination and Remuneration (Member)
Darren Carter
Non-Executive Director
Darren Carter
Experience
Darren has been a Non-Executive Director on Peel Hunt’s boards since 2004. He was Chair of Peel Hunt LLP from its buy-out from KBC in 2010 until 2016, and Chair of Peel Hunt LLP from 12 December 2018 until 3 September 2021. Darren has over 30 years’ equity markets experience working for financial services firms. He held a number of senior management positions, including Managing Director at D. E. Shaw Securities International, where he was responsible for the firm’s financial products businesses in London, New York, Tokyo and Hong Kong. He was also chief executive officer of KBC Financial Products, following KBC’s acquisition of D. E. Shaw Securities International in 1999. He is a non-executive director at FCA regulated Praetura Ventures and a director of Praetura Debt. Darren brings unparalleled knowledge of, and interest in, our business.
Committees
Nomination (Member)
Executive Board
Steven Fine
Chief Executive Officer
Steven Fine
Experience
Steven Fine is the Chief Executive Officer of Peel Hunt. He joined the business in 2006 and led the management and staff buy-out from KBC Bank in 2010. Prior to that he was a founder member of D. E. Shaw Securities International, which later became the core of KBC Financial Products. At KBC he managed the Japanese and Asian equity, convertible and derivatives operations in Tokyo. Steven is Deputy Chair of the FCA Markets Practitioner Panel whose key remit is to represent the interests of financial markets participants and to provide input to the FCA. He is also a non-executive director for the Quoted Companies Alliance, a membership organisation that champions the interests of medium- and small-sized quoted companies. He has been a judge for the Non-Executive Director Awards for over 15 years. Steven has an accountancy degree and also holds a certificate in corporate governance from INSEAD. Steven’s commitment to our partnership ethos, demonstrated by his collaborative management style and his transparent approach to communication, has contributed to Peel Hunt building successful long-term relationships with our clients and our people.
Committees
ESG (Member)
Sunil Dhall
Chief Financial & Operating Officer
Sunil Dhall
Experience
Sunil has been Chief Financial & Operating Officer of Peel Hunt since January 2010. Prior to this he was Global Head of Operational Risk at KBC Financial Products (KBCFP). He had a number of senior roles at KBCFP prior to this, including Credit Structurer for the Credit Products team and Head of Special Projects. Earlier in his career, Sunil has been an internal audit manager at Credit Suisse and an external auditor at Arthur Andersen. Sunil is also the Co-Chair of the UK Equity Markets Association, an association of investment banks with a unique focus on promoting vibrant and healthy equity markets for SMEs. Sunil is a chartered accountant with a degree in Engineering, Economics and Management from Keble College, University of Oxford.
Committees
ESG (Member)
David Curran
Chief Risk Officer
David Curran
Experience
David joined Peel Hunt in 2005 and was appointed Chief Risk Officer in June 2021. He has held management positions in Execution and Trading, Project Management and Regulatory Change and has a degree in Economics & Finance from the University of Strathclyde and a Masters in Economics from the University of Edinburgh.
Piya Khanna
Chief Technology Officer
Piya Khanna
Experience
Piya joined Peel Hunt as Chief Technology Officer in October 2023. She was previously Managing Director, Head of Technology and Process Group, Global Markets at Credit Agricole Corporate and Investment Bank where she led a team that delivered technology transformation programmes covering Rates, Secured Funding, Credit and FX. Piya has worked in the city since 1999 when she started her career at UBS in Zurich. She went on to work for UBS Investment Bank in London in the eFX Programme team after which she headed up the eProduct team for FX and Commodities at Standard Chartered Bank. She holds a BSC honours degree in Zoology from Delhi University.
Michael Lee
Chief Corporate Officer & General Counsel
Michael Lee
Experience
Michael joined Peel Hunt as General Counsel in January 2022 and became Chief Corporate Officer & General Counsel in January 2024. Prior to joining Peel Hunt, Michael spent 10 years at Numis where he was general counsel & chief risk officer and before that was a corporate lawyer at Linklaters and Latham & Watkins. Michael read Law & Business at Birmingham University.
Rachelle Cornel
Director of People & Communications
Rachelle Cornel
Experience
Rachelle joined Peel Hunt in 2014, focusing primarily on Marketing and Communications. She led on the Non-Executive Director Awards programme, including the NED Awards. With over 18 years of experience in marketing and events roles, both in-house and agency, she has a wealth of knowledge in the field. In 2024, Rachelle expanded her role to include HR under her remit, assumed the role of Director of People & Communications, and became a member of the Executive Committee.
