Direct Line adds two new directors

Direct Line Group has appointed two new directors with Glyn Jones as senior independent director and Mark Catton as a non-executive director with immediate effect.

Jones is the chairman of Aspen Insurance Holdings Ltd. He has held the role since May 2007. He is also the chairman of Aspen Insurance UK Ltd, the principal operating subsidiary of the Aspen Group. In the past six years, he has held other non-executive directorships, including the role of chairman at Towry Holdings, Hermes Fund Managers and BT Pension Scheme Management.

His executive career included being chief executive of Thames River Capital (2005-06), chief executive of Gartmore Investment Management (2000-04), chief executive of the Coutts Group (1997-2000), and six years in Hong Kong with Standard Chartered Bank (1991-97), latterly leading its international private banking business. He also spent nine years as a partner with Coopers & Lybrand/Deloitte Haskins & Sells, predominantly in their financial services consultancy practice.

Catton sits on the Royal Bank of Scotland Group management committee and is chief executive of RBS corporate and institutional banking in the UK, a position he has held since August 2008. He rejoined RBS in 2007 as a managing director in corporate banking, having previously worked for NatWest. Prior to RBS, he was a senior executive at Barclays (2001-07), responsible for a number of its client and product businesses, and in the latter period as managing director in European investment banking and debt capital markets at Barclays Capital.

Direct Line Group chairman Mike Biggs said: “Both Glyn and Mark have extensive leadership skills and financial markets experience that will bring valuable insights to the group and further complements the capability of our board. Direct Line Group supports high standards of corporate governance and these appointments confirm that the composition of our board is compliant with the UK corporate governance code.”