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Board Responsibilities

ProCook has established a clear division of responsibilities between the Board and the Executive leadership of the business.

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Board Responsibilities

Purpose, mission and strategy

  • Setting, developing and role-modelling our purpose and business values
  • Setting the strategy and mission to deliver on the Company’s purpose, and secure the continued growth of the Group over the long term in the interests of all its stakeholders
  • Ensuring that appropriate resources are in place to successfully deliver the Company’s mission and strategic priorities

Governance

  • Instilling and maintaining a positive culture that encourages strong ethical behaviours
  • Ensuring that the business control environment is appropriate and operationally effective and that sound risk management practices are in place
  • Oversight of succession planning and talent management
  • Setting an appropriate remuneration policy to attract and retain talent
  • Ensuring that appropriate information is shared with stakeholders in a transparent way
  • Ensuring full compliance with the UK Corporate Governance Code

Performance

  • Reviewing performance at operational and strategic level
  • Reviewing the performance of the Board, the Executive Directors and the Leadership Team
  • Ensuring that the Board is well equipped with appropriate skills and expertise, and that committee memberships are appropriate and effective

Clear division of Board Responsibilities

The Board has approved and adopted statements setting out the respective responsibilities of the Chairman, the Chief Executive Officer, and the Senior Independent Director of the Board.

Chairman

Greg Hodder Chairman

Executive Directors

Lee Tappenden - Chief Executive Officer

Dan Walden – Chief Financial Officer

 

Non-Executive Directors

David Stead - Senior Independent Non-Executive Director

Meg Lustman - Independent Non-Executive Director

Daniel O’Neill - Founder and Deputy Chair

 

Chairman

29925_Greg-Hodder-Showroom

Greg Hodder

Chairman

The Chairman’s principal responsibility is the effective running of the Board and includes:

  • Ensuring the Board as a whole plays a full and constructive part in the development and determination of the Group’s strategy and overall commercial objectives
  • Ensuring the Board determines the nature and extent of the significant risks the Company is willing to embrace in the implementation of its strategy
  • Running the Board and setting its agenda
  • Ensuring that all Board members are given the opportunity to share their views and participate in the business of the Board
  • Encouraging all Board members to engage in Board and committee meetings by drawing on their skills, experience and knowledge
  • Ensuring that there is effective communication by the Group with its shareholders, including by the CEO, CFO and other executive management
  • Ensuring that members of the Board develop an understanding of the views of the major investors
  • Leading the annual evaluation of the performance of the Board, its Committees, and individual directors
  • Shaping the culture of the boardroom
  • Ensuring that the board listens to the views of shareholders, the workforce, customers and other key stakeholders

Chairman’s responsibilities

Greg brings a wealth of experience with previous Non-Executive Director and CEO appointments and a history of driving fast growth from entrepreneurial companies with particular experience in e-commerce and multi-channel. Greg has spent much of his career working in the retail sector including roles as President of New York-based company Smallbone PLC, CEO of Charles Tyrwhitt LLP, Chairman of Majestic Wines plc and Senior Independent Director at Hotel Chocolat Group.

Greg is Non-Executive Director at Jarrold & Sons Limited and Non-Executive Chair at Purdy & Figg Ltd.

Chief Executive Officer

Lee Tappenden

Lee Tappenden

CEO

The CEO’s principal responsibility is running the Group’s business, including:

  • Developing the Group’s purpose, strategy and commercial objectives, and proposing these to the Board
  • Implementing the decisions of the Board and its Committees
  • Providing input to the Board’s agenda, including that from other members of the executive team
  • Conducting the affairs of the Group with the highest standards of integrity, probity and corporate governance
  • Setting an example to the Company’s people and communicating expectations regarding the Company’s culture
  • Leading colleagues to achieve performance and organisational objectives
  • Establishing policies that improve and promote the Group's purpose, values and culture

CEO’s responsibilities

Lee Tappenden was appointed CEO of ProCook in September 2023, bringing extensive leadership, retail and consumer experience to the Group having spent over 25 years with Walmart and Asda, where he held a range of senior management roles, and also at Amyris Inc and Boston Consulting Group. His tenure at Walmart included roles in merchandising and operations, before becoming Chief Operations Officer, and then President and CEO of Walmart Canada. Lee spent the early part of his career with Mobil Oil. 

Senior independent Non-Executive Director

David-Stead-WBG

David Stead

Senior independent Non-Executive Director

The SID’s principal responsibility is acting as a sounding board for the Chairman and serving as an intermediary for the other directors and shareholders, including:

  • Working with the Chairman, directors and shareholders to resolve significant or sensitive issues
  • Assisting in the maintenance of the stability of the Board and Company, particularly during any periods of stress
  • Taking responsibility for an orderly succession process for the Chairman, working closely with the Nomination Committee
  • Being available to shareholders should they have concerns that are unresolvable through the usual channels of the Chairman, CEO or other executive directors
  • Leading the performance evaluation of the Chairman on behalf of the other directors

Senior Independent NED’s responsibilities

An experienced director of companies in the UK retail sector, David was Chief Financial Officer of FTSE-listed Dunelm Group plc from 2003 to 2015 and Interim Chief Financial Officer in 2018. Prior to his role at Dunelm, David served as Finance Director for Boots The Chemists and Boots Healthcare International between 1991 and 2003. David is a chartered accountant, having spent the early part of his career with KPMG.

 

Chief Financial Officer

Dan-Walden-Showroom

Dan Walden

Chief Financial Officer

The CFO is responsible for the overall planning and management of the Group's financial affairs, and overseeing daily operational and administrative functions of the business including:

  • Working closely with the CEO to ensure that strategic plans are underpinned by solid financials
  • Developing the Group's budget and monitoring performance against this
  • Assessing the benefit of new investment opportunities and capital expenditure initiatives
  • Drafting Group's statutory financial statements and monthly management accounts 
  • Responsibility for internal control and risk management, in conjunction with the Audit and Risk Committee
  • Assessing and enhancing the efficiency of operational processes
  • Ensuring that operational policies and practices drive behaviour and that appropriate standards of governance permeate throughout the organisation

 

Dan was appointed Chief Financial Officer of ProCook in May 2021. Prior to joining ProCook, Dan was Chief Financial Officer of Booking.com Transport. Before that, he held several roles at Dunelm Group plc including Group Finance Director and Commercial Finance Director, as well as various senior finance and commercial roles at Halfords and Sainsbury’s. Dan is a chartered accountant having begun his career with KPMG.

Independent Non-Executive Director

Meg Lustman 3

Meg Lustman

Independent Non-Executive Director

The independent NEDs have been appointed for their knowledge and expertise. Their key role is to contribute to the strategic direction of the Group, including:

  • Providing healthy debate and challenge, as well as guidance and support, to the Executive Directors
  • Providing an independent sounding board to the Chair and Executive Directors 
  • Serving on the Board Committees, with responsibility for the oversight of audit and risk, remuneration, and composition of the Board
  • Meg Lustman is the designated Non-Executive Director for workforce engagement

Meg has over 35 years of retail experience and was previously CEO of British affordable luxury brand, Hobbs. Prior to this, she held senior positions at many of the UK's leading fashion retailers including John Lewis, Warehouse, and Aurora/Mosaic Fashions. Meg is an experienced Non-Executive Director having held a number of roles with both listed and non-listed businesses and organisations.

Meg is currently Vice Chair of Court at Glasgow Caledonian University, Chair of St Luke's Hospice (Harrow and Brent) and Non-Executive Director at Shepherd Neame Ltd.