Board of Directors

Appointed: 17 May 2018

Nationality: Irish

Committees: 
Nomination Committee (Chair)

Key Skills

Gerry brings to the Board experience of managing business transformations and has substantial international business and senior management experience. With his in-depth understanding of UK corporate governance requirements and his extensive experience in the retail sector, Gerry provides the Board with highly relevant and valuable leadership as Burberry continues to focus on delivering long-term sustainable value for all our stakeholders.

Experience

Gerry has been Chairman of Tate & Lyle plc since 2017 and was Chairman of The Blackstone Group International from 2009 to 2019 and a partner in the firm’s private equity investment unit from 2008 to 2017. From 2003 to 2008, Gerry was CEO of Kingfisher plc. He previously served as CEO of Carlton Communications plc (now ITV) from 2000 to 2003; Exel plc from 1995 to 2000; Greencore Group plc from 1991 to 1995; and spent his earlier career with Grand Metropolitan plc (now Diageo plc). Gerry has served as a Non- Executive Director on the Boards of British American Tobacco plc from 2009 to 2017; Merlin Entertainments plc from 2009 to 2015; Reckitt Benckiser plc from 2005 to 2008; Abbey National plc in 2004, and Novar plc from 1997 to 2003.

Appointed: 18 January 2017

Nationality: British

Key Skills

Julie has spent more than eight years in Chief Financial Officer positions in the FTSE 100 and has a strong track record of leading change and delivering sustainable, long-term value for shareholders. Her extensive experience in financial, commercial and strategic roles and leading major transformational programmes continues to be highly relevant to Burberry in the next phase of our strategy. Julie is committed to implementing initiatives that support our sustainability goals and is a passionate champion of diversity and women in business.

Experience

Julie joined Burberry from Smith & Nephew where she was the Group CFO from 2013-2017. Prior to this, she was Interim Group CFO of AstraZeneca. During her 25 years with the firm, she held a number of positions across three continents, covering Group and Business Finance, Strategy and Commercial positions, including time as a Regional and Country President. She gained extensive mergers and acquisition and transformational experience through the merger of Astra and Zeneca and in her role at Smith & Nephew. Julie is also a Non-Executive Director and Audit Chair of Roche Holding Limited. She is Ambassador for the Prince’s Trust Women Supporting Women initiative and co-Chair of The Prince’s Accounting for Sustainability Project’s CFO Leadership Network. Julie is also a member of the Mayor of London’s Business Advisory Board and Patron of Oxford University Women in Business. She is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountancy and the Institute of Tax, after qualifying with KPMG.

Appointed: 1 September 2014

Nationality: British

Committees:
Audit Committee
Nomination Committee

Key Skills

Carolyn has an impressive track record in media and is known for her experience in running international businesses. While at easyJet plc Carolyn transformed the company into one of the biggest airlines in Europe. Carolyn’s clear strategic acumen and strong track record of driving operational excellence and managing change makes her an important member of the Board as Burberry strives to deliver long-term sustainable value for all our stakeholders.

Experience

Carolyn joined ITV plc in 2018 as CEO. From 2010 to 2017 she was CEO of easyJet plc and held a number of roles at the Guardian Media Group plc, including CEO from 2006 to 2010. She has also previously served as a Non- Executive Director of Lloyds TSB, Tesco plc and New Look Group plc. In 2008, Carolyn was awarded an OBE for her services to women in business and in 2016 a damehood for her services to the aviation industry.

Appointed: 10 March 2015

Nationality: American

Committees:
Remuneration Committee
Nomination Committee

Key Skills

Fabiola built and led a major division of Yahoo! Inc. and brings directly relevant international strategic and operational experience in the internet and media sectors. Through her deep engagement at the World Wildlife Fund, Fabiola also has considerable experience of overseeing sustainability initiatives. Her digital and consumer background, coupled with her extensive international Non- Executive Directorship experience make Fabiola an important member of the Board.

Experience

Fabiola is currently the Managing Partner of Siempre Holdings, a private investment firm based in the USA. She is also a Non-Executive Director at Campbell Soup Company and Fair Isaac Corporation, which are both listed on the New York Stock Exchange. Fabiola is also currently a National Council Member of the World Wildlife Fund and Member of the Council on Foreign Relations. She has previously served as a Non-Executive Director at FTSE 100 companies Experian plc and BOC Group plc (now Linde Group), Saks Incorporated (now Hudson’s Bay Company) and Ibex 35 company Bankinter S.A. She has also held Non-Executive Directorships at National Public Radio, Rodale Inc., Intelsat Inc., Sesame Workshop and the World Wildlife Fund UK and USA. Fabiola also held senior operating roles at Yahoo! Inc., the BBC and Bertelsmann AG.

Appointed: 1 September 2017

Nationality: American

Committees: 
Audit Committee
Remuneration Committee
Nomination Committee

Key Skills

Ron has spent over 30 years working in the retail industry. He has clear strategic acumen, strong leadership skills and wide-ranging experience of working with luxury fashion brands. While working at Saks he was the instrumental driving force behind developing the company’s private-label collections. Ron’s wealth of fashion experience and his well-established merchandising skills will continue to play a pivotal role as Burberry continues to grow and we strengthen our performance in the luxury fashion market.

Experience

Ron is currently CEO of Ron Frasch Associates LLC. He is also a Non-Executive Director of Crocs Inc, Aztech Mountain and MacKenzie Childs. Between 2004 to 2007, Ron served as Vice Chairman of Saks Fifth Avenue Inc. and from 2007 to 2013 he was President, with responsibility for fashion buying, merchandise planning, store planning, stores, and visual. Prior to Saks, Ron spent four years as President and CEO of Bergdorf Goodman. He has also served as President of the Americas for an Italian licensing company of luxury fashion brands.

Appointed: 1 September 2013

Nationality: British

Committees:
Audit Committee (Chair)
Remuneration Committee
Nomination Committee

Key Skills

Matthew has significant strategic, regulatory and operational experience in the e-commerce and technology sectors. He brings to the Board significant experience of managing dynamic and fast-moving international companies and has an extensive understanding of the consumer market. Matthew’s significant financial experience remains important to the Board, as reflected in his appointment as Chair of the Audit Committee.

Experience

Matthew is currently a Non-Executive Director of BT Group plc, a member of BT’s Nomination and Remuneration Committees and is Chair of its Audit and Risk Committee. Matthew served as a member of the advisory Board of Samsung Europe between 2015 and 2017. From 2007 to 2014, he held various positions at Telefonica, including Chairman and CEO of Telefonica Europe plc, and Chairman and CEO of Telefonica Digital, the global innovation arm of Telefonica. Matthew is a qualified chartered accountant having qualified with Arthur Young (now EY). In his early career, he held various financial positions at Grand Metropolitan plc (now part of Diageo plc), Kingfisher plc, Coca- Cola and Schweppes.

Appointed: 3 January 2018

Nationality: Irish

Committees:
Remuneration Committee (Chair)
Nomination Committee

Key Skills

Orna has strong UK plc and international business experience, especially in the consumer and retail markets. She also brings to the Board significant financial, strategic and governance experience. Orna is a committed environmentalist and was Chair of the Soil Association (which campaigns for more environmentally-friendly food and farming) for six years. Her passion for the environment is an asset to Burberry as we continue to drive positive change and build a more sustainable future through our ongoing Responsibility agenda.

Experience

Orna is currently Senior Independent Director at Saga plc and Interim Chair of the National Trust; until recently, she was Chair of Founders Intelligence. She is a Trustee of the Institute for Fiscal Studies. She has previously served on the Boards of Royal Mail, Bupa, HMV, Northern Foods and Bank of Ireland UK. In addition, Orna spent 18 years at McKinsey & Company, where she was a Partner, co-leading its European Retail Practice. She has been an advisor to Apax Partners LLP.

Appointed: 1 November 2019

Nationality: Australian

Committees:
Nomination Committee
Remuneration Committee

Key Skills

Sam has first-hand knowledge of leading iconic heritage premium brands, which is a huge asset to Burberry as we grow our business in key Asian markets.

Experience

Sam is currently President, Asia Pacific and Global Travel, Diageo plc and is also a member of its Global Executive Committee. Since joining Diageo in 2007, Sam has held several senior roles, including Managing Director of Greater China and Managing Director for South East Asia. Prior to Diageo, Sam held a number of commercial and general management roles at Colgate- Palmolive between 1991 to 2006, culminating in a role as Managing Director of Central Europe.

Appointed: 1 January 2021

Nationality: French

Committees:
Audit Committee
Nomination Committee

Key Skills

Antoine has a wealth of experience in driving business expansion, innovation, leadership and sustainability. As CEO of Barry Callebaut, Antoine brought the company’s sustainability agenda to the heart of its strategy, setting ambitious targets that address the largest sustainability challenges in the chocolate supply chain. He gained extensive experience of managing leading consumer brands at Unilever. This strong understanding of the consumer market and focus on sustainability makes him an invaluable asset to Burberry.

Experience

As of September 2021, Antoine is CEO of Danone, a world leading food company built on three business lines: Essential Dairy and Plant-based Products, Waters, and Specialised Nutrition. The company is listed on the Euronext Paris Stock Exchange and is included in the CAC 40 stock market index. From October 2015 to September 2021, he was CEO of Barry Callebaut, and prior to that, Antoine held a number of senior executive positions at Unilever plc, including President of Unilever Foods and member of Unilever’s Group Executive Committee, Executive Vice President for Unilever Skin Category and Executive Vice President for Unilever’s Central and Eastern Europe region. From 2009 to 2020, Antoine served as a Non-Executive Director of Essilor International, which prior to its merger with Luxottica Group Spa, was listed on Euronext Paris and included in the CAC40 index. Antoine was appointed as a Non-Executive Director of Barry-Callebaut AG with effect from 8 December 2021.

Appointed: 1 December 2021

Nationality: British

Committees:
Remuneration Committee
Nomination Committee

Key Skills

Danuta has a strong understanding of consumers, technology, sales and marketing within the UK and international business markets gained through her executive career.  Her significant UK plc board experience also makes her a strong asset to our Board.  

Experience

Danuta is currently Chair of Direct Line Insurance Group and is a member of the Employ Autism Development Board. She has previously served on the Boards of Aldermore Bank plc, Old Mutual plc, Page Group plc, Paddy Power plc and Aer Lingus plc and, until recently, was Chair of St Modwen Property plc and a member of the Board at the UK Ministry of Defence. In addition, Danuta spent 9 years as CEO of Telefonica O2 in Ireland and as an executive director of Telefonica Europe plc.

Appointed: 1 October 2018

Experience

Gemma is a fellow of the Chartered Governance Institute and has more than twenty five years’ company secretarial experience. Her previous roles include Company Secretary of The Berkeley Group Holdings plc, Deputy Company Secretary at TSB Banking Group plc and Deputy Company Secretary of Smith & Nephew plc. She is a member of the Chartered Governance Institute’s Company Secretaries’ Forum and of the Association of General Counsel and Company Secretaries of FTSE 100 companies.