Leadership

  • Nomination
  • CSR
  • Audit
  • Remuneration
Jerry Buhlmann
Jerry Buhlmann

Chairman

Appointed – March 2017 (Board), May 2024 (Chairman)

Skills and experience – Jerry has over 40 years’ experience in the advertising and media industries. Jerry joined Inchcape as Non-Executive Director in 2017, later becoming Senior Independent Director in 2019, and then Chairman in 2024. Previously, he was Chief Executive Officer of Aegis Group PLC and Dentsu Aegis Networks. Jerry is currently chairman of three private equity backed digital marketing agencies: Croud Limited, Dept, and Hybrid. Jerry is also a member of the supervisory board of Serviceplan GmbH, and a senior advisor to management consultants OC&C.

Committee membership – Nomination, Remuneration, and Sustainability Committees.
Duncan Tait
Duncan Tait

Group Chief Executive

Appointed – July 2020

Skills and experience – Duncan brings significant international experience and a wealth of digital and data experience, a key enabler of the Accelerate strategy. Duncan was previously on the board of Fujitsu, a global technology services company with $10bn turnover and 35,000 people. Duncan has also held senior roles at Unisys, Hewlett Packard, and Compaq in a technology focused career of over 30 years.

Duncan is currently a non-executive director at Agilisys.

Committee membership – Sustainability Committee.
Adrian Lewis
Adrian Lewis

Group Chief Financial Officer

    Appointed – May 2023

    Skills and experience – Adrian has financial experience in the automotive, consumer, digital, and retail industries, and has been instrumental in the acquisition and integration of the Derco and Indumotora businesses. Adrian joined Inchcape in 2015 as CFO for the Emerging Markets region and then became CFO for Asia Pacific. In 2020, Adrian returned to the United Kingdom to lead the finance function as Group Financial Controller, before becoming Chief Financial Officer in 2023. Prior to Inchcape, Adrian held various senior finance roles at Tesco plc.

    Adrian is a chartered accountant.

    Committee membership – None.
    Alison Platt
    Alison Platt

    Senior Independent Director

    Appointed – January 2024

    Skills and experience – Alison has significant business and international commercial experience from working for high-profile consumer-facing companies across the healthcare, insurance, and property sectors. Her former membership of the steering group of the Hampton-Alexander Review provides strategic insights on inclusion and diversity.

    Alison serves as chair for Hargreaves Lansdown plc and Ageas UK. Alison is also a non-executive director and chair of the Remuneration Committee for Tesco plc.

    Committee membership – Audit, Nomination, Remuneration, and Sustainability Committees.
    Sarah Kuijlaars
    Sarah Kuijlaars

    Non-Executive Director

    Appointed – January 2022

    Skills and experience – Sarah is an experienced international finance leader, having previously been chief financial officer at De Beers Group and Arcadis NV.
    She was also formally deputy CFO at Rolls-Royce Holdings plc and has held a number of senior financial leadership roles during a 25-year career at Royal Dutch Shell plc. Sarah was previously a non-executive director at Aggreko plc. Sarah has a Mathematics degree from Oxford University and is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants.

    Sarah serves as Chief Financial Officer for Tate & Lyle PLC.

    Committee membership – Chair of the Audit Committee and member of the Nomination Committee.
    Alex Jensen
    Alex Jensen

    Non-Executive Director

    Appointed – January 2020

    Skills and experience – Alex is the designated Non-Executive Director responsible for workforce engagement. She has considerable experience in transforming and growing customer-facing businesses. Alex was formerly regional CEO of mobility and convenience at BP plc. Alex holds an MA degree in Chinese Studies from Oxford University, and a Masters from Stanford University School of Business.

    Alex is the CEO of National Express UK, Ireland, and Germany, and also serves on the board of the charity Mind.

    Committee membership – Sustainability Committee Chair and member of the Nomination and Remuneration Committees.
    Nayantara Bali
    Nayantara Bali

    Non-Executive Director

    Appointed – May 2021

    Skills and experience – Nayantara previously held various senior management positions in Procter & Gamble over a 25-year period. Nayantara is director and co-owner of ANV Consulting Pte, and also an independent director on the boards of Torrent Pharma, Starhub, and Marico.

    Nayantara holds an Economics degree and a Post Graduate Diploma in Business Management from the Indian Institute of Management.

    Committee membership – Nomination and Sustainability Committees.
    Juan Pablo Del Río Goudie
    Juan Pablo Del Río Goudie

    Non-Executive Director

    Appointed – January 2023

    Skills and experience – Juan Pablo has held a number of senior leadership roles across a range of companies within the automotive, real estate, and retail sectors.
    He served on the board of the Derco group, the largest multi-brand automotive distributor in Latin America, until its acquisition by Inchcape in 2022. Juan Pablo is currently on the board of Cruzados S.A.D.P. (a company with shares listed on the Santiago Stock Exchange) and is chairman of Sodimac S.A. He was formerly a board member of Falabella S.A., a company with shares listed on the Santiago Stock Exchange.

    Committee membership – Nomination
    Committee.
    Byron Grote
    Byron Grote

    Non-Executive Director

    Appointed – January 2023

    Skills and experience – Byron has extensive experience across a range of leading international businesses at board level, bringing strategic focus and financial expertise to the Board. Having previously been chief financial officer at BP plc between 2002 to 2011, Byron is currently non-executive director at InterContinental Hotels Group plc and deputy chairman of the supervisory board at Akzo Nobel NV. Byron has previously served on the boards of Anglo-American plc, Standard Chartered plc, Tesco plc, and Unilever plc.

    Committee membership – Chair of the Remuneration Committee and members of the Audit, Nomination, and Sustainability Committees.
    Stuart Rowley
    Stuart Rowley

    Non-Executive Director

    Appointed – July 2023

    Skills and experience – Stuart has a deep understanding of the global automotive industry and has extensive international experience. Stuart recently departed Ford after more than 30 years’ service, starting from a finance leader before transitioning to president and chair of Ford Europe, and chief transformation & quality officer.
    Stuart was formally a non-executive board member of the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association, a lobbying group representing Europe’s major car manufacturers, which includes many of our mobility company partners. Stuart holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration.

    Committee membership – Audit and Nomination Committees.

     
    Duncan Tait
    Duncan Tait

    Group Chief Executive

    Appointed – July 2020

    Skills and experience – Duncan brings significant international experience and a wealth of digital and data experience, a key enabler of the Accelerate strategy. Duncan was previously on the board of Fujitsu, a global technology services company with $10bn turnover and 35,000 people. Duncan has also held senior roles at Unisys, Hewlett Packard, and Compaq in a technology focused career of over 30 years.

    Duncan is currently a non-executive director at Agilisys.

    Committee membership – Sustainability Committee.
    Adrian Lewis
    Adrian Lewis

    Group Chief Financial Officer

      Appointed – May 2023

      Skills and experience – Adrian has financial experience in the automotive, consumer, digital, and retail industries, and has been instrumental in the acquisition and integration of the Derco and Indumotora businesses. Adrian joined Inchcape in 2015 as CFO for the Emerging Markets region and then became CFO for Asia Pacific. In 2020, Adrian returned to the United Kingdom to lead the finance function as Group Financial Controller, before becoming Chief Financial Officer in 2023. Prior to Inchcape, Adrian held various senior finance roles at Tesco plc.

      Adrian is a chartered accountant.

      Committee membership – None.
      Mike Bowers
      Mike Bowers

      Group General Counsel and Chief Sustainability Officer

        Appointed – October 2015

        Skills and experience – Mike joined the Group in 2015 as Group General Counsel. He is a leading contributor to the Group’s M&A strategy playing a significant role in the acquisitions of Derco, Grupo Rudelman, Indumotora, ITC, and Simpson Motors, which significantly reshaped the business over the last decade. Mike is also instrumental in reinforcing and strengthening legal and regulatory compliance across the Group.
        Mike was appointed Chief Sustainability Officer in 2023 and leads the Group’s response to climate change, helping us to deliver on our aim to be the lowest carbon route to market for our mobility partners.

        Note: Mike will become the CEO of our Americas region on 1 April 2025 – read more here

        Liz Brown
        Liz Brown

        Chief Strategy Officer

          Appointed – February 2023

          Skills and experience – Liz has over 20 years’ experience in consulting, consumer goods, private equity, and retail. She joined Inchcape in 2023 from Diageo, the global drinks manufacturer and distributor, where she held the role of group strategy director and global head of business development.
          Liz also had overall responsibility for Diageo’s start up acceleration business, Distill Ventures, developing a portfolio of successful new businesses which resulted in several successful acquisitions into Diageo. Prior to Diageo, Liz held strategic and senior roles at Currys plc, Royal Bank of Scotland Group plc, and LEK Consulting LLC.

          Note: Liz will become Inchcape’s Chief Strategy and Sustainability Officer on 1 April 2025 – read more here

          Helen Cunningham
          Helen Cunningham

          Chief People Officer

            Appointed – September 2020

            Skills and experience – Helen joined the Group in 2016 and has held various positions as Regional HR Director in the UK, Emerging Markets, and Americas & Africa, before being promoted to Chief People Officer in 2020, bringing a combination of deep functional expertise and strong operational leadership to this key global role. She has significant M&A capability within the business over several step-change acquisitions effectively onboarding new teams and leaders and integrating businesses. She is also the Executive leader for the People workstream of the Responsible Business ‘Driving What Matters’ plan.
            Phil Jenkins
            Phil Jenkins

            Chief M&A Officer

              Appointed – October 2023

              Skills and experience – Phil has over 25 years’ business development and finance experience in global organisations across both the automotive and FMCG sectors. Phil joined Inchcape initially as Chief Financial Officer for our Americas & Africa region and has led our global M&A team since 2021. Under his leadership, the M&A team has helped secure multiple deals, including the acquisition of Derco, Inchcape’s biggest M&A transaction in more than 50 years.
              Ruslan Kinebas
              Ruslan Kinebas

              CEO, APAC

                Appointed – October 2015

                Skills and experience – Ruslan has led key acquisitions with mobility company partners including Changan, GWM, Jaguar Land Rover, Mercedes-Benz, and Tata Motors, and has overseen the development of our global Digital Parts Platform. In 2023, he presided over successful market entries into Philippines and Indonesia which further grew Inchcape’s distribution businesses in the region. In his eight-year tenure at Inchcape, he held strategic roles such as CEO Emerging Markets, and CEO Americas & Africa. A firm believer of Inclusion & Diversity, he is the Executive sponsor of the Inchcape Women into Leadership programme, helping to uplift and develop female colleagues into leadership roles.
                Romeo Lacerda
                Romeo Lacerda

                CEO Americas

                  Appointed – September 2021

                  Skills and experience – Romeo joined Inchcape in 2021 as CEO Americas & Africa. Since joining the Group, Romeo has overseen the acquisition of Ditec, Interamericana Trading Corporation (ITC), and Simpson Motors, which have strengthened the Group’s geographic reach and broadened its relationships with mobility company partners. Romeo was influential in the acquisition and has led the integration of Derco, the largest automotive distributor in Latin America, increasing Inchcape’s scale in the Americas with a footprint of over 30 mobility company partner brands across 13 markets.

                  Note: Romeo will become Inchcape’s Chief Commercial Officer on 1 April 2025 – read more here

                  Glafkos Persianis
                  Glafkos Persianis

                  CEO Europe & Africa

                    Appointed – April 2020

                    Skills and experience – Glafkos joined Inchcape in 2020 as CEO Europe with responsibility for Continental and Northern Europe. Glafkos was instrumental in the appointment of Inchcape as BYD’s sales and aftersales partner in Belgium and Luxembourg. BYD is the world’s leading manufacturer of new energy vehicles and power batteries, and will provide an online and offline network for both sales and aftersales services. Also in 2022, Glafkos assumed responsibility for operations in Africa, a strategically important region for the Group offering long-term sustainable growth in the markets of Ethiopia, Djibouti, and Kenya.