Board of Directors

Appointed: 17 May 2018

Nationality: Irish

Committees: 
Nomination Committee (Chairman)

Experience

Gerry was appointed Chairman at the AGM on 12 July 2018. He has been Chairman of Tate & Lyle plc since 2017. From 2008 to 2019, Gerry undertook a number of roles at the principal European entity of The Blackstone Group, including serving as Chairman (2009-2019) and as a partner in the firm’s private equity investment unit (2008-2017). From 2003 to 2008, Gerry was CEO of Kingfisher plc. He was also previously 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.

Key Skills

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

Appointed: 5 July 2017

Nationality: Italian

Experience

Marco joined Burberry from the French luxury leather group Céline, where he was Chairman and CEO from 2008 to 2016. Prior to this, he served as Chairman and CEO of Givenchy and was CEO of Moschino from 1993 to 2004. In his early career Marco worked as marketing and sales director at Bottega Veneta, before joining luxury leather specialist Valextra as managing director.

Key Skills

Marco has spent more than two decades working in a variety of executive positions for prestigious international fashion brands, with a focus on leather goods. He has an outstanding track record of delivering growth in the luxury industry and has a clear vision for the luxury sector and how it will evolve. Whilst working at Céline, he revamped the entire product offering and significantly increased profits. His extensive understanding of international brand transformation and retail execution is highly relevant to Burberry as we continue to re-energise the brand, drive forward with our strategy and strive for long-term growth in the rapidly changing environment in which we operate.

Appointed: 18 January 2017

Nationality: British

Experience

Julie joined Burberry from Smith & Nephew where she was the Group CFO from 2013-2017. Prior to his, she was Interim Group CFO of AstraZeneca after serving 25 years with AstraZeneca, working in three continents. In Julie’s earlier career with AstraZeneca, she held a number of positions covering group and Business Finance, together with Strategy and Commercial positions, including time as a regional and Country head. She gained extensive M&A and transformational experience through the merger between Astra and Zeneca and her role in Smith & Nephew. Julie is also a Non‑Executive Director and Audit Chair of Roche Holding Limited and on the Business Advisory Board to the Mayor of London. She is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountancy and the Institute of Tax, after qualifying with KPMG.

Key Skills

Julie has spent over 8 years in CFO positions in the FTSE 100 and has a strong track record of leading change and supporting businesses through her significant experience in financial, commercial and strategic roles. Her extensive experience in leading change and delivering shareholder value through major transformational programmes will be valuable to Burberry as we progress to the next phase of our Strategy.

Appointed: 10 March 2015

Nationality: American

Committees:
Remuneration Committee
Nomination Committee

Experience

Fabiola is currently the Managing Partner of Siempre Holdings, a private investment firm based in the US. She is also a Non-Executive Director at Campbell Soup Company and Fair Isaac Corporation which are both listed on the NYSE. 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 US. Fabiola also held senior operating roles at Yahoo! Inc, the BBC and Bertelsmann AG.

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 makes Fabiola an important member of the Board.

Appointed: 1 November 2019

Nationality: Australian

Committees:
Nomination Committee
Remuneration Committee

Experience

Sam is currently President, Greater China and Asia Pacific at 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 and 2006, culminating in a role as Managing Director of Central Europe.

Key Skills

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

Appointed: 1 September 2017

Nationality: American

Committees: 
Audit Committee
Remuneration Committee
Nomination Committee

Experience

Ron is currently CEO of Ron Frasch Associates LLC. He is also a Non- Executive Director of Crocs Inc. and Aztech Mountain. From 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.

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. Whist 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.

Appointed: 1 September 2013

Nationality: British

Committees:
Audit Committee (Chair)
Remuneration Committee
Nomination Committee

Experience

Matthew is currently a Non-Executive Director of BT Group plc and a Member of BT’s Audit and Risk Committee and Nominating and Governance Committee. Matthew served as a member of the advisory Board of Samsung Europe between 2015 and 2017. Between 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. In his early career he held various financial positions at Grand Metropolitan plc, Kingfisher plc, Coca-Cola and Schweppes.

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.

Appointed: 1 September 2014

Nationality: British

Committees:
Audit Committee
Nomination Committee

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.

Key Skills

Carolyn has an impressive track record in media and is known for her experience of 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.

Appointed: 3 January 2018

Nationality: Irish

Committees:
Remuneration Committee (Chair)
Nomination Committee

Experience

Orna is currently Senior Independent Director at Saga plc, Deputy Chairman at the National Trust and Chair of Founders Intelligence. She has previously served on the Boards of Bupa, HMV, Northern Foods and Bank of Ireland UK and until recently was Senior Independent Director and Chair of the Remuneration Committee at Royal Mail plc. In addition, Orna spent 18 years at McKinsey & Company, where she co-led their European Retail Practice and has been an advisor to Apax Partners LLP.

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 organic food and farming) for six years. Her passion for the environment will be an asset to Burberry as we continue to drive positive change and build a more sustainable future through our ongoing Responsibility Agenda.

Appointed: 1 January 2021

Nationality: French

Committees:
Audit Committee
Nomination Committee

Experience

Antoine is CEO of Barry Callebaut, a Swiss listed company, which is the world’s largest supplier of chocolate and coca products with a market capitalisation of £9 billion, revenues of £6 billion and a total of 12,000 employees. He has been Conseiller du Commerce Extérieur in France since 2004 and is a member of the Board of Directors of the Swiss-American Chamber of Commerce. Prior to joining Barry Callebaut in 2015, Antoine held a number of senior executive positions at Unilever plc including President of Unilever Foods and member of Unilever’s Group Executive Committee (2011 to 2015), Executive Vice President for Unilever Skin Category and Executive Vice President for Unilever’s Central and Eastern Europe region.  From 2009 to 2020, he 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 CAC 40 index.

Key Skills

Antoine has a wealth of experience in driving business expansion, innovation, leadership and sustainability. During his tenure as CEO of Barry Callebaut Antoine has focused on growth and innovation and has brought the company’s sustainability agenda to the heart of its strategy, setting  ambitious targets, to be achieved by 2025, that address the largest sustainability challenges in the chocolate supply chain. Antoine also gained extensive experience of managing leading consumer brands whilst at Unilever such as Hellmann’s, Dove, and Pond’s. This strong understanding of the consumer market and focus on sustainability will make him an invaluable asset to Burberry.