Meet our executive team

Ian Phillips

Director of Risk and Compliance

Ian joined StepChange in 2021, having worked in the regulated Financial Services Industry for over 25 years, across a range of regional, national, and international firms of various sizes, including 13 years in various parts of Lloyds Banking Group.

Starting out in front line, customer facing roles at branch, area and regional level, Ian gained first hand insight into the real-world challenges of translating strategy into reality for customers and colleagues. He then moved into Head Office roles in Product & Proposition, Operations and First and Second Line Risk & Compliance, including leading direct interaction with the FCA over enforcement and rectification activity, oversighting the LBG Vulnerable Consumer strategy and supporting Equifax in developing and implementing a revised risk management framework.

Since 2020, Ian has also successfully co-led the UK Finance Vulnerability Academy, driving thought leadership, and supporting over 150 strategic leaders to date, from across the financial services, utilities, communications, and other sectors, in understanding the requirements of embedding consumer vulnerability, and good consumer outcomes in general, throughout the culture, policies, and relevant customer journeys of their organisations. The success of the academy has recently seen its remit broaden to include the first Regulator’s Academy, in partnership with the UK Regulators’ Network, helping Regulators develop responses to the same challenges across their markets.

Ian is also an adviser to the Board of Surviving Economic Abuse, the UK’s only charity dedicated to raising awareness of and transforming responses to economic abuse, is a Parish Councillor and is Chair of Trustees of a small charity which supports provision of educational and cultural initiatives in the local community.

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 & 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.

In addition, Sian volunteers her time as a Trustee for Northpoint Wellbeing, a mental health charity that provides talking therapies to adults and young people living in Yorkshire.

Charlotte Chambers

Chief Information Officer

Charlotte Chambers is an accomplished technology professional, with 20+ years of service and operational experience across multiple sectors.

Charlotte has experience working in several different sectors, including 12 years in retail.

Charlotte has a proven track record in building high performing teams, is passionate about colleague development, and has led the women in leadership programme across Asda Technology.

Charlotte also successfully led service and programme delivery across multiple application and infrastructure platforms, including multiple transformation programmes, delivering service improvement, quality, and efficiencies and has most recently been the lead on one of the largest eCommerce technology transformation programmes in Europe, following Asda’s divesture from Walmart, with her remit spanning all of eCommerce Technology for Asda.

Charlotte is also a mum of 3, and lives in the North East with her family.

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 23 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.

Vikki Brownridge

Chief Executive

Prior to Vikki’s role of CEO, she lead 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 17 years and has held a number of senior leadership positions including Head of Debt Advice and Director of Client Experience where she was responsible for the charity’s strategic relationships and funding.

Vikki is also a Trustee of Frank Parkinson Yorkshire Trust, a local Leeds based charity that provides Almhouses for residents over the age of 65.

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

Alex Pitcher

Director of Risk & Compliance

Alex joined StepChange in 2023 with over 15 years of experience across the financial services sector, predominantly in risk and compliance roles.

Prior to joining StepChange he was Head of Risk for TransUnion. Alex previously worked for the Royal Bank of Scotland Group in Edinburgh before moving to Yorkshire where he held roles at PwC and Yorkshire Building Society.

In addition, Alex is a member of the leadership team of C3 Church in Leeds and York.