Board & management

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, chair of the remuneration committee, and senior independent director at 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 Ashtead Group plc (as independent non-executive director and chair of the remuneration committee), 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.

Committees

Nomination (Chair)

Additional Responsibilities: 

• Shareholder engagement 
• Ensuring effective engagement with the Group’s wider stakeholders 
• Leading the Board and promoting a culture of openness and constructive challenge and debate 
• Setting the Board agenda and ensuring there is adequate time available for discussion of all agenda items, particularly strategic issues 
• Ensuring the Board’s effectiveness 
• Ensuring the Group’s corporate governance is maintained in line with good practice and internal policies

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 serves as 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, and a non-executive director of RetailBook, a comprehensive solution for issuers wishing to access retail capital. 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)

Additional Responsibilities:

• Providing clear and visible leadership
  Proposing and directing the execution of strategy set by the Board through leadership of the Executive Board
• Responsible for the overall operational business and functions
• Keeping the Chair and the Board appraised of key issues facing the Group
• Ensuring that the Group’s business is conducted with the highest standards of integrity, in keeping with Peel Hunt’s purpose, values and culture
• Managing the Group’s risk profile and ensuring actions are compliant with the Board’s risk appetite
• Managing investor relations activities, including effective and ongoing communication with shareholders and other stakeholders

Experience

Michael joined Peel Hunt in January 2022 and became Chief Operating Officer (COO) in July 2025. Prior to this he was General Counsel and Chief Risk Officer at Numis (now Deutsche Numis) and held roles at leading global law firms Latham & Watkins and Linklaters. Michael oversees Legal, Risk, Compliance, Governance & CoSec, Technology, the Group COO Function, Procurement and Facilities and has senior responsibilities in relation to Group Strategy and Business Performance. Michael is a qualified solicitor with a Law & Business degree from the University of Birmingham.

Experience

Billy joined Peel Hunt in August 2015 and has had a number of senior roles within the Group's finance team before becoming Group Finance Director in July 2025. Prior to this he had finance management roles in insurance and asset management. Billy oversees the financial operations of the Group, together with the Operations and Middle Office functions, and will be responsible for ensuring efficient cost control to support the future growth of the group, as well as preparing and maintaining the integrity of the Group's financial information. Billy is a Chartered Management Accountant with an Accounting and Finance degree from Manchester Metropolitan University.

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)

Additional Responsibilities: Shareholder and Employee engagement

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 was previously 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 strong understanding of complex regulatory and business issues, and developing pragmatic solutions. Her significant experience of internal and external audit matters is extremely helpful to ensure a sound control environment.

Committees

Audit (Chair)
Nomination, Remuneration, Risk and ESG (Member)

Additional Responsibilities: Whistleblowing champion

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)

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 PXN Group Limited. Darren brings unparalleled knowledge of, and interest in, our business.

Committees

Nomination (Member)