Sir Christopher Gent is the Chairman of our Board and Sir Andrew Witty is our Chief Executive Officer (CEO).

Sir Andrew became CEO on 21 May 2008, when he succeeded JP Garnier. Sir Christopher was Non-Executive Deputy Chairman from 1 June until 31 December 2004, and became Chairman on 31 December 2004, following the retirement of Sir Christopher Hogg as Chairman.

The role of the Chairman is to lead and manage the business of the Board to provide direction and focus, while ensuring that there is a clear structure for the effective operation of the Board and its Committees. He sets the agenda for Board discussions to promote effective and constructive debate and to support a sound decision-making process, ensuring that the Board receives accurate, timely and clear information, in particular about the company’s performance.

The Chairman and the Chairmen of Board committees communicate regularly with the CEO and other CET members. The division of responsibilities between the role of Chairman and the CEO has been set out in writing, agreed by the Board.