AJ Bell has appointed Steve Langan as a non-independent non-executive director, in a directorate change announced through the London Stock Exchange regulatory news service on 2 September 2026. The appointment takes effect on 2 February 2027.
The company said Langan has been nominated to the board by Andy Bell. He succeeds Les Platts, who will not be seeking re-election at the next annual general meeting, in line with the expectations set when Platts was appointed to the same non-independent role. AJ Bell described the changes as the conclusion of recent board succession planning activity.
Fiona Clutterbuck, chair of AJ Bell, said she was delighted to welcome the new directors to the board and looked forward to working with them. She said Langan brings extensive international leadership experience, having served as chair, chief executive officer and chief marketing officer across a range of regulated and listed businesses, and that he has a proven track record of driving growth, transforming businesses and building brands across multiple markets and industries. She added that his expertise in digital insurance, including launching and leading businesses in both the United Kingdom and the United States over the past two decades, would provide insight and support as the company continues to execute its strategic priorities.
Commenting on his appointment, Langan said he was pleased to be joining the board, that he has been passionate throughout his career about building strong businesses, developing successful brands and delivering sustainable growth, and that he looked forward to working with the board and executive team as the company continues to execute its strategy.
Langan brings executive and board experience gained across the insurance and consumer goods sectors. He currently serves as a non-executive director of Sampo. He previously held several senior leadership positions at Hiscox, including chief executive of Hiscox UK and Europe and chief executive of Hiscox USA. According to the announcement, his experience spans business growth, digital transformation, risk management and international operations, and he has led businesses across Europe, North America and Asia.
The appointment is one element of an orderly board transition. As well as Platts stepping down at the next annual general meeting, Eamonn Flanagan will not seek re-election, having served nine years in line with the UK Corporate Governance Code, and Margaret Hassall will step down on 30 September 2026 after choosing not to serve a third term. Craig Gentle joined the board as a non-executive director with effect from 1 September 2026 and will chair the audit committee, subject to regulatory approval.
AJ Bell was established in 1995 and is headquartered in Manchester, with offices in London and Bristol. It operates at scale in both the advised and direct to consumer platform markets, offering pensions, individual savings accounts and general investment accounts, together with its own range of funds and a managed portfolio service. In a trading update published on 23 July 2026, the company reported platform assets under administration of 121.5 billion pounds at 30 June 2026, platform customers of 762,000 and assets under management of 11.4 billion pounds.
The British platform market has grown as savers take on more responsibility for their long term finances, and platform operators have increasingly competed on price, digital experience and brand. Those are the disciplines that dominated the executive career of Langan in insurance, a neighbouring regulated retail market that has undergone a comparable shift towards direct digital distribution.
The appointment signals that the board is retaining a nominated, non-independent seat while refreshing the individual who occupies it, and that it is adding consumer facing digital and marketing experience from outside the platform sector as the company continues to invest in brand and proposition.
