Board of Directors

Alex has been CEO of Currys, the UK and European market-leading technology retailer, since 2018 and is leading an ambitious transformation to build a Currys that helps everyone enjoy amazing technology. Alex was previously CEO of Shop Direct, now the Very Group (2012-18), where he led the business’s digital transformation from a catalogue retailer to the UK’s second largest e-commerce pureplay, and through four consecutive years of record growth in sales, profits, customer satisfaction and colleague engagement. Before that, Alex was managing director of Lombard, leading the turnaround of Europe’s leading asset finance company back to growth and profitability (2008-12), and commercial director at Barclays. He started his career in strategy and operations consulting with Kalchas and Bain & Company. He is a scholar of Worcester College, Oxford, a leadership council member of Business in the Community (HM the King's responsible business network) and a non-executive director of RS Group plc.

Eileen Burbidge MBE joined the Board as a non-executive director in January 2019. Eileen is Chair of the ESG Committee and is a member of the Audit Committee.

Eileen has a university degree in computer science and has held various roles at Apple, Sun Microsystems, Openwave, PalmSource, Skype, Yahoo! and Verizon Wireless. Eileen was a member of the Prime Minister’s Business Advisory Group, chair of Tech Nation – a UK government-supported technology industry group, HM Treasury Special Envoy for Fintech and Tech Ambassador for the Mayor of London’s office. She was made an MBE for services to business in the Queen’s Birthday Honours in 2015.

Eileen co-founded Passion Capital in 2011 where she is a partner and represents as non-executive/investor director at Monzo Bank and Butternut Box along with several other Passion Capital portfolio companies.

Ian Dyson is the Chair of Currys plc and joined the Board in September 2022. Ian is Chair of the Nominations Committee.

Ian’s past roles include chair of ASOS plc, chief executive of Punch Taverns plc, group finance and operations director at Marks & Spencer Group plc, group finance director of Rank Group Plc and group financial controller and finance director for the hotels division of Hilton Group plc. He was a non-executive director of SSP Group plc and senior independent non-executive director of Flutter Entertainment plc. More recently, Ian was a non executive director, and audit committee chair, of InterContinental Hotels Group plc (2013-2023).

Ian is a non-executive director of JD Sports Fashion plc and a non-executive director of Young & Co.'s Brewery, P.L.C.

Magdalena Gerger joined the Board as a non-executive director in May 2023. Magdalena is a member of the Remuneration, Nominations and ESG Committees.

Magdalena’s former roles include president and CEO of Systembolaget, senior vice president of Arla Foods, category head for Nescafe and Retail Coffee at Nestle UK, and UK marketing director at Tambrands (now Proctor & Gamble) and ICI Paints. Magdalena has over 20 years’ non-executive director experience, and her past roles include chair of the Business Council of The Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences, and non-executive director of Ingka Holding BV (IKEA), Husqvarna AB and Ahlsell AB.

Magdalena is a non-executive director of Peab AB and Investor AB, and chair of Nefab Group and the British Swedish Chamber of Commerce.

Steve Johnson joined the Board as a non-executive director and member of the Company’s Audit Committee on 1 June 2024.

Steve has been CEO of N Brown Group Plc ('N Brown') since February 2019 and Interim Executive Chair since May 2024. He joined N Brown in February 2016, was appointed as CEO of the Finance Services Operating Board in November 2017 and then as Interim CEO in September 2018. He joined N Brown from Shop Direct Group Limited where he was Financial Services Marketing and Product Director. Prior to that, he held various senior executive roles at Sainsbury's and Halifax.

Bruce Marsh joined the Board as Group Chief Financial Officer in July 2021. Bruce is Chair of the Disclosure Committee.

Bruce joined Currys from Tesco plc, where he was finance director, UK & Ireland (2015-2021). Before that, Bruce was at Kingfisher plc where he was managing director of Kingfisher Future Homes and group strategy director. Previously, Bruce held several senior finance roles at Dixons Retail plc. Bruce brings a strong financial track record over many years in retail, and in the successful delivery of large complex business transformations in rapidly changing environments. He has extensive experience leading high-quality finance teams, maintaining robust financial controls and improving planning and performance.

Bruce is a non-executive director of DFS Furniture plc and member of the Audit, Remuneration and Nomination Committees.

Octavia Morley joined the Board as a non-executive director and a member of the Company's Remuneration, ESG and Nominations Committees on 1 April 2024. On 25 April 2024, Octavia was appointed as Senior Independent Director and the Chair of the Remuneration Committee.

Octavia is an experienced executive and non-executive board director. She has held various senior operational and strategic roles across all areas of retail at companies including Asda Stores Limited, Laura Ashley Holdings plc and Woolworths plc. Octavia was Chief Executive Officer, and then Chair, at LighterLife UK Limited.  She was also Managing Director of Crew Clothing Co Limited and Chief Executive at OKA Direct Limited.

Octavia is currently Chair of Banner Group Limited, a privately owned company.  She is also Senior Independent Director and Remuneration Committee Chair of Crest Nicholson Holdings plc and of Marston's PLC and a Non-Executive Director at Ascensos Limited. She formerly held non-executive director roles at Card Factory plc and John Menzies PLC.

Gerry Murphy is a non-executive director of the Board, having joined Carphone Warehouse as a non-executive director in April 2014. Gerry is member of the Audit and Remuneration Committees.

Gerry was a non-executive director of Capital & Regional plc and chair of the audit committee from April until its acquisition in December 2024. He was also a non-executive board member of the Department of Health and Social Care from 2014 to 2024 and chaired its Audit and Risk Committee, a non-executive director of Capital & Counties Properties PLC from 2015 to 2018 and senior independent director from 2018 to 2020. Gerry is a former Deloitte LLP partner and was leader of its Professional Practices Group with direct industry experience in consumer business, retail and technology, media and telecommunications. He was a member of the Deloitte board and chairman of its audit committee for a number of years and also chairman of the Audit & Assurance Faculty of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales.

Gerry is a Non-Executive Director and Finance and Commercial Committee Chair of King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.

Adam Walker joined the Board as a non-executive director in June 2023. Adam is Chair of the Audit Committee and is a member of the Remuneration Committee.

Adam's former executive roles include executive vice president and chief financial officer of IHS Holding Limited (IHS Towers), the largest global telecommunications tower company, from 2017 to 2022, chief financial officer of GKN plc, group finance director at Informa PLC, and finance director at National Express Group PLC. Adam was a non-executive director and chair of the audit committee at Kier Group plc from 2016 to 2019, and a non-executive director and chair of the audit committee at Tritium DCFC Limited, listed on Nasdaq, until April 2024.

Adam is a Senior Independent Director and audit committee chair of Computacenter plc. He is also chairman of Indra Renewable Technologies Limited and the chairman designate of the Matt Hampson Foundation, a charity focused on young people who have undergone a life changing injury through sport.

Nigel Paterson was appointed General Counsel & Company Secretary in April 2015. Nigel is a member of the Disclosure Committee.

Nigel has a strong background in UK and international telecoms and held several senior legal roles at BT Group plc including general counsel of BT Consumer, head of competition & regulatory law, and vice president and chief counsel for UK and major transactions. Prior to BT, Nigel was engaged as legal counsel at ExxonMobil International Limited. He trained and qualified as a solicitor with Linklaters.