Group Executive Committee
Barry O'Dwyer
Group Chief Executive Officer
Barry O’Dwyer is an actuary with extensive financial services experience in the UK and Ireland. He began his career at Standard Life in 1988, when it was a mutual. In 2008, he moved to HBOS and shortly afterwards to Prudential UK & Europe, where he became Deputy CEO. He returned to Standard Life in 2013, where he became CEO of Standard Life’s assurance, pensions and savings businesses. He joined the Board of Standard Life plc in 2018. Following their merger with Aberdeen Asset Management, he was the head of Standard Life Aberdeen’s UK business.
Daniel Cazeaux
Group Chief Financial Officer
Daniel Cazeaux is a chartered accountant and was previously a Partner at KPMG in the UK where he led global client teams delivering audit services to UK and global insurance companies, as well as advising on finance change programmes and transactions. In his time at KPMG he also performed executive secondment roles in the finance functions of large UK insurers and has deep-rooted specialist and commercial expertise. He is also a Director of Royal London Insurance DAC.
Noel Freeley
Chief Executive Officer Royal London Insurance DAC
Noel Freeley is the Chief Executive Officer of Royal London Insurance (RLI) DAC with responsibility for devising and executing the Group’s strategy in the Irish business. Prior to this, he has been a Board member for a number of our subsidiary companies in the UK. Before joining Royal London in 2013, he headed up the pensions and protection business at Co-operative Insurance and previously performed roles for Friends Provident in the UK and Asia.
Hans Georgeson
Chief Executive Officer RLAM
Hans Georgeson is Chief Executive Officer of RLAM. He started his financial services career in 1996 as an equity analyst at BZW Investment Management, the asset management arm of Barclays, and progressed through a number of executive roles at Barclays Wealth, Gerrard Investment Management and Barclays Stockbrokers. In 2010 he joined Architas, AXA’s fledgling UK asset management business. Under his tenure the business grew to over £40bn assets, operating across 13 countries. He joined RLAM in April 2021.
Mehdi Kadhim
Group Chief Transformation Officer
Mehdi Kadhim is Group Chief Transformation Officer with responsibility for change, procurement and workplace. He has worked in financial services for over 20 years and joined Royal London in October 2022 from Santander UK where he was Chief Executive of the UK’s asset management business. In that role he led the transformation and reintegration of the division following the repurchase of the business from private equity. Prior to that he held a number of other senior roles at Santander spanning retail banking, wealth management and global markets.
Jo Kite
Chief Customer Officer
Jo Kite is Chief Customer Officer for the UK business. A qualified actuary, she has extensive experience in financial services having started her career at Aviva, where she held a number of senior management positions in both the UK and Europe. She was also Managing Director at Willis Towers Watson, leading the Defined Benefit Scottish business, Defined Contribution Consultancy practice, and Master Trust business. She has led marketing, proposition, operations and finance functions at executive levels across platforms, retirement and workplace at Standard Life. She re-joined Royal London in 2021.
Tracey Kneller
Group Chief People Officer
Tracey Kneller is Group Chief People Officer. Prior to joining Royal London in 2020, she was Chief People Officer at The Co-operative Bank where, as a member of the Executive Committee, she was part of the team that managed the separation from the Co-operative Group and a recapitalisation in 2017. She has considerable industry and technical expertise, gained across multiple sectors including technology, FMCG and financial services, working for listed and privately owned companies as well as working internationally.
Susie Logan
Group Chief Marketing Officer
Susie Logan is Group Chief Marketing Officer. Prior to joining Royal London in 2020, she was Brand and Marketing Director at Standard Life where she led a significant transformation of marketing capabilities. She brings a wealth of knowledge in marketing in the financial services sector where she has 20 years’ experience, including positions held at Scottish Widows, Zurich Life and Bank of Ireland Mortgages.
Dr James McCourt
Group Chief Risk Officer
Dr James McCourt is Group Chief Risk Officer, responsible for executing the Group’s risk management strategy, leading our relationship with the regulators and managing the Internal Model. With over 20 years’ experience in the financial services industry, he has had a diverse career spanning senior roles in banking, private equity, asset management, pensions and insurance. Since joining Royal London in 2012, his roles have included Chief Risk Officer RLAM, Group Chief Conduct Officer and Group Investment Director.
Will Pritchett
Group Chief Operating Officer
Will Pritchett is Group Chief Operating Officer with responsibility for technology and operations. He has worked in financial services technology for over 20 years and joined Royal London in 2020 from KPMG where he was Partner for Technology and strategic adviser and delivery lead to Royal London. Before that he was a Senior Executive at Accenture and Royal & Sun Alliance and has worked globally transforming technology estates
Julie Scott
Chief Commercial Officer
Julie Scott is Chief Commercial Officer for the UK business. She has over 25 years’ experience in banking, insurance and wealth management and, prior to joining Royal London in 2021, she was CEO of 1825 Financial Planning & Advice. She has worked across multiple brands and geographic territories with a focus on improving customer outcomes and experience. She has held senior positions for RBS, NatWest, Citizens Bank and Standard Life Aberdeen.
Julie Whitehead
Group General Counsel
Julie Whitehead was appointed as Group General Counsel in January 2023. Julie joined Royal London from AXA where she held a variety of leadership roles, including UK Group Regulatory and Compliance Director and Senior Counsel for AXA UK plc. With more than 25 years’ financial services experience, Julie is a qualified lawyer and has also held legal roles at Geest Plc and AMP UK where she was responsible for providing legal advice to AMP Group, Pearl Assurance, London Life, Henderson Investors and NPI.