Alison Hutchinson

Alison Hutchinson joined DFS as an Independent Non-Executive Director in May 2018, and currently serves as the Senior Independent Non-Executive Director and chair of the Responsible and Sustainable Business Committee.

Alison has a strong background in both IT, retail financial services and the retail sector. She started her career at IBM where she became Global Director of Online Financial Services. In 2000, Alison joined Barclays Bank where she held senior management positions including Marketing Director of Barclaycard before moving to specialist mortgage provider Kensington Group in 2004, where she was Managing Director and then Group CEO, leading the successful sale of the business to Investec in 2008. Over the last 12 years Alison has worked in the retail and hospitality sector to launch and grow a movement which enables digital charity donations. In 2016, she was awarded a CBE for services to the economy and charities.

Alison is currently Chief Executive of Fintech charity The Pennies Foundation (which she founded in 2009) as well as being the Senior Independent Director at Yorkshire Building Society and Foresight Group Holdings Ltd. Alison has a BSc in Technology & Business Studies from Strathclyde University.