Dignity Plc
DTY:LN
Overview
Company Profile
Dignity is UK's largest provider of funeral related services. Based in West Midlands, it owns over 500 funeral directors and operates 22 crematoriums across the country.
Classification
Sector Consumer Discretionary
Industry Personal Services
Financials
Corporate
Board of Directors
Peter Hindley
Non-Executive Chairman
Peter has extensive experience of the industry having been appointed Chief Executive of Plantsbrook Group plc in 1991. Following the acquisition of Plantsbrook Group plc and Great Southern Group plc by SCI in 1994, he was appointed CEO of SCI (UK). He subsequently led a management buy out of the Group from SCI in 2002. The Company was then floated on the Stock Exchange in 2004. Peter became Non–Executive Chairman in January 2009. Before entering the funeral service industry, Peter spent 25 years in retailing, holding senior positions in Debenhams, Burtons and Harris Queensway. Peter was appointed Chairman of the Steering Committee of the French funerals group OGF, SA in January 2014.
Mike McCollum
Chief Executive
Mike joined Dignity’s former parent, SCI, in 1995 from KPMG Corporate Finance in London. As Finance Director he was part of the management team that guided the Group through the leveraged buy-out in 2002 and IPO in 2004. He was appointed Chief Executive in 2009. He has a law degree from Birmingham University, is a solicitor and also holds an MBA from Warwick University.
Steve Whittern
Finance Director
Steve joined the Group in 1999 from KPMG. He was appointed Finance Director at the beginning of 2009, having spent the previous two years as Financial Controller, being responsible for the Group\'s finance function. Steve led the further debt issue and Return of Value in 2010 and 2013, and the debt and equity funding for the Yew Acquisition. Steve is an FCA and holds a mathematics degree from Warwick University.
Andrew Davies
Operations Director
Andrew joined his family owned business in 1979 and worked as a funeral director and embalmer until the business was sold to Great Southern Group in 1993. He then held various management positions within Great Southern Group and following the acquisition by SCI in 1994, held senior operational positions within SCI (UK). He became Operations Director in 2001 and was a member of the management buy out team in 2002.
Richard Portman
Corporate Services Director
Richard joined SCI from HSBC as Chief Accountant in 1999. Following the IPO, Richard was appointed as Company Secretary and became Corporate Services Director in 2006. Richard is an FCA, holds a geography degree from Birmingham University, is a Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute and is a Member of the Investor Relations Society.
Alan McWalter
Non-Executive Director
Alan is a Non–Executive Chairman of Churchill China plc, Constantine Group plc, Kornicis Group Limited, a Non–Executive Director of Haygarth Group Limited and Senior Independent Director of SDL PLC. Prior to these roles Alan was Group Marketing Director of Marks and Spencer plc and before that held senior positions with Kingfisher plc and Thomson Consumer Electronics.
Jane Ashcroft CBE
Non-Executive Director
Jane is Chief Executive of Anchor, a leading provider of services to older people and has held a number of senior positions since joining them in 1999. She is also Non–Executive Chair of Care England and was previously a Non–Executive Director of Stroud & Swindon Building Society. A graduate of Stirling University, she is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Secretaries & Administrators, a Member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, a Trustee of Silver Line and was created a CBE in the 2014 New Years honours list.
Martin Pexton
Non-Executive Director
Martin was previously Managing Director of LMS Capital plc and prior to that an Executive Director of London Merchant Securities plc and Personnel Director of the law firm Allen & Overy. He has also in the past held a number of non–executive positions including roles with Minerva plc and Inflexion plc as well as a number with private companies. He has an MBA from the London Business School.