Our leadership

Darren Shapland

Non-Executive Chair

Appointment
Darren joined the Group as an Independent Non-Executive Director in 2024 and became Chair in January 2025.

Skills and experience

Darren has 40 years experience in retail and consumer businesses serving in leadership, executive and Non-Executive positions.

He held both financial and general management roles at Burton Group plc including Supply Chain Director for the fashion brands, Finance Director for Top Shop/Top Man and Managing Director for the Home Shopping business. Subsequently he was Chief Financial Officer for Superdrug, Carpetright plc and then Sainsburys plc. He completed his executive career as Chief Executive of Carpetright plc.

More recently Darren has been a Non-Executive Director and Chair at a number of public, venture capital and private equity backed businesses. Darren‘s public Chair roles have included Poundland plc and Topps Tiles plc. He was also Audit Committee Chair at Ladbrokes plc and Ferguson plc. He is currently a Non-Executive Director at JD Sports plc where he chairs the ESG Committee.

139

top bowling score

Stephen Burns

Chief Executive Officer

Appointment
Stephen joined the Group as Business Development Director in 2011. He was promoted to Managing Director in 2012 and became Chief Executive Officer in 2014.

Skills and experience
Before joining the Group, Stephen worked within the health and fitness
industry, holding various roles within Cannons Health and Fitness Limited from 1999. He became Sales and Client Retention Director in 2007 upon the acquisition of Cannons Health and Fitness Limited by Nuffield Health, and became Regional Director in 2009.

In 2011, Stephen was appointed to the operating board of MWB Business Exchange, a public company specialising in serviced offices, meeting and conference rooms, and virtual offices.

Stephen is Chair of the Inn Collection Group.

189

top bowling score

Laurence Keen

Chief Financial Officer

Appointment
Laurence joined the Group as Finance Director in 2014.

Skills and experience
Laurence has a first-class degree in business, mathematics and statistics from the London School of Economics and Political Science. He qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 2000 and has been an ICAEW Fellow since 2012.

Previously, Laurence was UK Development Director for Paddy Power from 2012. He has held senior retail and finance roles for Debenhams plc, Pizza Hut (UK) Limited and Tesco plc. He was also a Non-Executive Director of Tortilla Mexican Grill PLC from its IPO until May 2023.

191

top bowling score

Melanie Dickinson

Chief People Officer

Appointment
Melanie joined the Group as Talent Director in October 2012.

Skills and experience
Melanie has over 20 years of HR experience across the leisure and hospitality sectors.

Starting her career in retail operations before moving into HR, Melanie has held HR roles at Pizza Express, Holmes Place Health Clubs and Pizza Hut UK, as well as obtaining a postgraduate diploma in personnel and development.

Most recently, she headed the People function at Zizzi Restaurants, part of the Gondola Group.

144

top bowling score

Ivan Schofield

Independent Non-Executive Director

Appointment
Ivan joined the Group as an Independent Non-Executive Director in October 2017.

Skills and experience
Ivan has extensive experience in the leisure sector in the UK and across Continental Europe. He held a number of senior roles for Yum Brands Inc. over 15 years, notably
as Managing Director of KFC France and Western Europe and more recently as CEO of itsu. Prior to this, he held roles at Unilever and LEK Consulting.

Ivan runs his own executive coaching and leadership development business and was previously Non-Executive Director of Thunderbird Fried Chicken Limited.

Ivan holds a BSc in economics with econometrics from the University of Bath and an MBA from INSEAD and is a graduate of the Meyler Campbell Business Coaching Programme.

165

top bowling score

Julia Porter

Independent Non-Executive Director

Appointment
Julia joined the Group as an Independent Non-Executive Director in September 2022.

Skills and experience
Julia has more than 30 years experience encompassing executive and non-executive roles in advertising, media and the technology sectors in the UK and globally. She has held Executive Director roles in a number of businesses including IPC Magazines, Getty Images and ITV plc. Most recently, Julia was Director of Consumer Revenues at Guardian News & Media where she developed and delivered subscriptions and customer data strategies.

Julia is currently Non‑Executive Director of Sage Homes and Chair of the Remuneration and Nomination Committees.

Previously she has been a Non-Executive Director of Freeview (the UK’s largest free to air digital TV platform), Safestyle UK Plc and Origin Housing, and was a Trustee at Worldwide Cancer Research. She holds an MBA from London Business School.

139

top bowling score

Rachel Addison

Senior Independent Non-Executive Director

Appointment
Rachel joined the Group as an Independent Non-Executive Director in September 2023.

Skills and experience

A member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, Rachel has held senior financial, operational and board level roles throughout her career. She was Chief Financial Officer at both Future plc and TI Media Limited; Managing Director for Reach Regionals; both CFO and Chief Operating Officer for Local World Limited and Northcliffe Media Limited; and Head of Risk Management at Boots the Chemist.

Rachel is currently a Non-Executive Director of Marlowe plc, a business-critical services provider; Watkin Jones plc, a housing developer and manager of student and build-to-rent accommodation; Gamma Communications plc, a leading supplier of Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS) into Western European markets; and Wates Group, the UK’s leading family-owned development, building and property services company.

130

top bowling score

Mathew Hart

Chief Marketing and Technology Officer

Mathew joined the Group as Commercial Director in January 2015. He has over 25 years of commercial, marketing, e-commerce and general management experience across the travel, leisure and healthcare sectors.

Mathew has held executive positions at Holiday Autos (Managing Director), Lastminute.com (Group Marketing Director), Cannons Health Clubs (Group Marketing and Commercial Director), Nuffield Health (Group Marketing Director) and Encore Tickets (Group Marketing Director).

153

top bowling score

Darryl Lewis

Chief Operating Officer

Darryl joined the Group as Regional Director in September 2013. He has over 25 years’ experience in key operational roles across the leisure sector, including cinemas and theme parks.

Darryl worked in general management, film and content planning and senior operational support roles in the cinema industry for 20 years with Showcase Cinemas, Warner Bros, International Theatres and Vue.

187

top bowling score