Opera has appointed The Rt Hon Dame Penny Mordaunt as Chair of its Board.
As Chair, Dame Penny (pictured) will lead the Opera Limited Board and be responsible for its effective governance and strategic oversight. She will set the Board’s agenda, support director independence, lead the Board’s oversight of the Group CEO and act as a key interface with shareholders.
Dame Penny brings extensive strategic, international and leadership experience developed across complex public, private and charitable environments.
She served in the British Parliament for 14 years, holding nine ministerial roles, including four Cabinet positions. She was Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons from 2022 to 2024. Her previous roles include Secretary of State for Defence, Paymaster General, Secretary of State for International Development and Minister of State for International Trade.
Her responsibilities have included national security, international trade, international development, civil contingencies, resilience and defensive cyber security. She was also the United Kingdom’s Governor at the World Bank. Dame Penny now works with a portfolio of global organisations focused on prosperity and security and continues to support charitable and philanthropic initiatives.
Stephen Lansdown CBE, Opera’s majority shareholder, said: “From the beginning, my ambition for Opera has been clear: to build a financial services group for the ambitions of the future. One that serves clients exceptionally well, invests in its people and, as it grows, raises the standard for the industry.
“We are here to build something genuinely better and compete at the highest level. Long-term ambition needs more than patient capital. It needs strong governance, clear accountability and a Board prepared to challenge the business. Through her role as Chair of SubSea Craft, I have seen first-hand what Dame Penny brings to a board: strategic judgement, international perspective and the confidence to ask difficult questions. She has provided strong Board leadership during a period of significant development, and those qualities will be a real asset to Opera as move into the next phase of our strategy.”
Kim Sgarlata, Group CEO and Executive Director of Opera Limited, said: “We have brought together significant capability across Opera. Our focus now is to build on that strength, make the most of the expertise across our businesses and continue investing in our people, technology and client capabilities.
“Dame Penny’s appointment comes at an important point in Project Overture. She brings experience and judgement to the Opera Limited Board and will lead the Board in providing strategic oversight, testing decisions and holding me accountable as Group CEO for delivery of the agreed strategy.
“I look forward to working with Dame Penny as we move from acquisition into thoughtful integration, adapt as the needs of our clients and markets evolve and turn the ambition behind Project Overture into meaningful progress for our clients, colleagues and shareholders.”
The Rt Hon Dame Penny Mordaunt, Chair of Opera Limited Board, said: “What attracted me to Opera was a serious long-term ambition, backed by owners prepared to build with patience.
“Good governance gives that ambition discipline. It ensures difficult questions are asked early, decisions are tested and organisations remain accountable to the people they serve. I look forward to working with Kim and the Board to help turn Opera’s ambition into meaningful outcomes for clients, colleagues and shareholders.”
