Meet our executive team

Ian Phillips

Director of Risk and Compliance

Ian is responsible for the delivery and oversight of the Charity’s risk and compliance arrangements.

Ian brings a wealth of financial services experience, recently helping Equifax build their risk management framework and supporting the development of data-driven solutions around Consumer Vulnerability.

He has also worked as consultant for UK Finance and the Money Advice Trust, where Ian led their award-winning Consumer Vulnerability Academy. This has now seen over 100 strategic leaders complete a six month programme on best practice for applying FCA guidance and legal requirements to ensure vulnerable consumers receive outcomes at least as good as everyone else.

Ian previously spent thirteen years with the Lloyds Banking Group in various leadership roles.

Richard Britten

Director of Finance

Richard provides strategic and financial leadership to ensure that the charity’s financial objectives are met. He’s a Chartered Accountant having qualified at EY in London.

Richard brings a wealth of commercial financial management experience gained in regulated financial services at Mitchell Farrar Group and Provident Financial plc as well as previously at Enterprise Oil plc.

Richard Lane

Director of External Affairs and Operating Subsidiaries

Richard leads the charity's External Affairs department, which covers our policy, campaigning, communications and digital functions.

He also oversees StepChange’s two operating subsidiaries – StepChange Financial Solutions and StepChange Voluntary Arrangements.

Richard has worked across the charity sector in a number of roles, notably leading the communications and campaigns teams at the national disability charity, Scope, and working on campaigns and public affairs at the LGBT charity Stonewall.

Sian Evans

Director of People & Culture

Sian started her career in Human Resources at Morrison’s Supermarkets in 1990. Her experience spans a wide range of industries including roles at Ciba Specialty Chemicals, Redcats UK, Callcredit Information Group where she was Group HR Director from 2008 to 2011.

From 2011 until 2013, Sian ran an HR business providing consultancy services to the professional services and logistics sectors. Sian joins us from Severfield Plc where she was Group HR Director.

She is a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.

Lorna Allan

Chief Information Officer

Lorna is the charity’s first Chief Information Officer and is responsible for our overall IT and Information Security environments.

With responsibilities that cover operational IT services through to the development and delivery of digital change, she brings a wealth of both IT and business experience.

She joined the ranks of the CIO 100 list in 2021.

Lorna has over 25 years’ experience across a diverse range of business sectors delivering IT services and technology change, from large international businesses like Siemens, through to fascinating government organisations like The British Library.

Gail Arkle

Director of Client Experience

Gail leads the charity’s Client Experience directorate, which covers the marketing, strategic relationships, business development and client journey functions.

With over 22 years’ experience working across both B-2-C and B-2-B audiences, she has successfully led Marketing and Business Development teams across a number of sectors, in the delivery of corporate and commercial strategies. Most notably, in leadership roles bidding for and delivering services to the public and charitable sectors.

She is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Marketing.

Phil Andrew

Chief Executive

Phil has over 30 years’ varied experience as Chair, CEO, CFO, NED and Treasurer in government owned organisations, blue-chip companies and charities in the UK, Ireland, Russia, France and the Far East.

Phil is a Chartered Accountant, qualified treasurer and Chartered Marketer.

Prior to joining StepChange in 2017, Phil was CEO of Working Links and prior to this CFO, Sodexo UK & Ireland and CEO, Sodexo Justice Services.

Over the last 15 years he has specialised in environments where social good is the primary objective but in environments requiring very high levels of commercial efficiency.

Phil is Vice-Chair of Raven Housing Association and Chair of the Marketors Trust.

Vikki Brownridge

Director of Operations

Vikki leads the charity’s operational teams who provide debt advice and ongoing solution service provision for our clients across a number of sites and all jurisdictions in the UK.

She has worked at the charity for over 16 years in a number of senior leadership positions including Head of Debt Advice and Director of Client Experience.

Earlier in her career Vikki held leadership positions within outsourced providers and financial services organisations.