Leadership Insights

Mark joined BGL as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) in September 2020 and took on the role of CEO at Compare the Market a year later. 

Mark has extensive experience developing and delivering digital and data strategies for consumer-facing tech businesses. Throughout his career he has worked with regulated and private equity-owned businesses and brings strong consumer, people and brand-led experience. 

He previously held several roles at RBS during a ten-year tenure with the business, including Exco positions as Chief Operating Officer and CEO Capital Resolution, where he led the restructuring of RBS after the global financial crisis. 

Before re-joining RBS, Mark was Head of Barclays Capital’s Principal Investments unit, leading transactions in the UK, US and South Africa. Mark joined Barclays Capital from RBS Equity Finance where he led investments such as Canary Wharf and Towergate.  

Mark is a Non-Executive Director of NHS England and is Chair of the NHSE Digital, Data and Technology Committee. Mark is a qualified chartered accountant and a graduate of the University of Manchester, where he studied Economics. 

Sam Jones is COO at Compare the Market where he is responsible for organisational design and delivery as well as the Data, Product and Commercial teams. 

Sam is a highly experienced tech, data and digital leader with 20+ years’ experience leading global direct to consumer businesses. Prior to CtM, he was CEO at US private equity group Bruin Capital, where he led technology, data, product, content and marketing teams to build the global sports subscription business for the NFL across 7 global offices and 181 markets. Sam was also responsible for the acquisition / integration of five WPP and Bruin tech and data companies in Europe and the US, creating $2bn+ shareholder value and a platform used by the majority of global sports federations and rights owners. 

Prior to Bruin, Sam was CEO Digital at Europe’s largest broadcaster Bauer Media, building a 2000+ global team across technology, data, product, content, sales across 100+ products.  Sam led Bauer’s transition into a European wide audio and personal finance platform for 140m users, with the highest customer rated audio apps and 37% EBITDA growth.  

Sam also served in the leadership of global media tech / subscription service DAZN / Perform Group, from set up to FTSE 250 IPO where he led the Consumer division and associated technology, product and customer acquisition teams. In addition, Sam served in the leadership of US based video streaming SaaS business Kyte, building the European business on route to an exit on the NASDAQ. In his early career Sam led digital products internationally at Warner Music, co-founded The Times Fastest Growing Technology Company, Lovelive and co-founded and exited one of the UK’s first social networks, Xtaster. 

From answering claims calls aged 17, to becoming Chief Commercial Officer at Compare the Market, Ursula Gibbs has built her 20+ year career on curiosity, commercial sharpness, and a drive to keep learning at pace.

Ursula started her journey in the Claims team at BGL Group, where her performance quickly earned her a move into supplier and partner management. From there, she navigated roles across procurement, legal referral schemes and data, building deep operational knowledge and a reputation for asking the right questions.

With each step, she layered technical insight with commercial impact from driving down supplier costs through strategic procurement, to leading insurer relationships and pricing strategies across some of the UK’s largest insurance and aggregator products.

After a series of senior roles, Ursula became Compare the Market’s CCO in 2024. She now leads commercial performance across multiple product lines including car and home insurance, balancing partner relationships, customer outcomes and long-term growth.

At the core of her story is a belief that your mindset matters; stay curious, stretch yourself, and never underestimate the value of asking what might seem to be the obvious question.

Andy Hancock joined Compare the Market in January 2024 and leads the team responsible for the growth verticals, which include Money, Energy, Digital, Life & Travel Insurance and SME.   

Andy has deep digital, consumer and financial services experience. Before joining Compare the Market, Andy served as CEO at FutureLearn, an international digital learning platform. Prior to that, he was Chief Operating Officer and Chief Customer and Product Officer at Moneysupermarket Group (MSM). His earlier career was spent driving digitisation across media and travel businesses.   

 Andy holds an MBA from Southampton University.  

Helen joined Compare the Market in 2021 as Chief Risk and Compliance Officer. 

Prior to that, she had spent more than 18 years with RBS in a succession of roles including several Managing Director posts, Chief of Staff to the CEO and, latterly, Chief Operating Officer for the Natwest Holdings Risk Function. 

She began her career in consultancy, working for both Arthur Andersen and Ernst & Young. 

Helen has held several non-executive posts, including with Ulster Bank, Coutts and UK Finance. She has a Masters in Accounting and Finance from Heriot-Watt University. 

Rachael has been Chief People Officer at Compare the Market since October 2021. Prior to that she held the same role at BGL Group since June 2018. 

Before working for the Group, she spent her career in hospitality, travel and tourism. She held several roles at Thomas Cook during a nine-year tenure, latterly as Group and UK HR Director. Prior to this, she was Director of HR at glh Hotels and Casino. 

Rachael holds a CIPD qualification and has extensive experience in general people leadership, engagement and change management. 

Behzad (Bez) has been Group Chief Financial Officer (CFO) for Compare the Market and BGL Group since October 2023. Prior to that he was Group Strategy Director, having joined the Group in 2020 as Divisional CFO for the Compare the Market business. 

Bez started his career as a Software Engineer before spending 15 years as an investment banker at JP Morgan advising UK Consumer, Retail and Leisure companies on M&A and fundraising. 

Bez has an MA (Hons) degree in Mathematics from the University of Cambridge. 

Tom Wallis joined CtM in March 2023. Following an organisational restructure in May 2024, he became Chief Customer Officer, overseeing all customer-facing activity, including operations and support, customer content, and digital performance marketing. 

Prior to CtM, Tom was Chief Marketing Officer at Gousto, where he spent six years. He previously held roles as Head of Online Sales and Marketing at Ovo Energy, and Head of Trading and Digital Performance Marketing at NOW TV @ Sky. 

Tom holds a Masters of Engineering in Electrical and Information Sciences from the University of Cambridge. 

Giles has been with Compare the Market since July 2022, previously holding the role of Strategy Director at BGL Group from April 2021. 

Giles spent more than six years at Barclays Investment Bank private equity, investing in large cap leveraged deals and global natural resources, before joining RBS in 2013, where he performed a mix of strategy and execution roles. He was one of the founders of Bó, the start-up digital retail bank from NatWest, where he served serving as Chief Financial Officer from January 2018.   

Giles has significant experience and expertise in leading major corporate deals, including mergers, acquisitions and investments, having originally qualified as a chartered accountant with PwC 

Giles hold an MSci and a BA in Materials Science and Metallurgy / Natural Sciences from the University of Cambridge. He has also held several non-executive posts in various industries. 

Helen Phipps is a commercial leader with over 20 years’ of experience in insurance and financial services. Helen has spent more than a decade shaping commercial strategy, building strong insurer partnerships, and enhancing product governance. Her previous experience at Hastings Direct and RAC has further established her as a trusted voice in the industry. She is regularly sought for expert commentary on home insurance and wider consumer insurance markets.

Caroline Raines is Director of Corporate Affairs and Communications at comparethemarket.com, where she leads the organisation’s corporate affairs strategy, spanning earned media, PR, influencer engagement, public affairs, CSR, internal communications, and employee engagement.

With over 25 years’ experience in communications, Caroline has built a career advising and leading through complex business transformations, reputational challenges, and high-profile corporate activity. Prior to her current role, she was Group Communications Director at BGL Group, where she developed and delivered the Group’s corporate communications strategy and led communications through significant milestones, including an IPO process, major business sales, and organisational restructuring.

Caroline started her career in journalism before going on to hold senior roles in both agency and in-house environments, including Deputy Managing Director at Athene Communications, where she oversaw operations and led client work across sectors including education, utilities, health and consumer. She also spent a decade delivering transformation programmes across public sector organisations.