UK retail investment platform Hargreaves Lansdown has named Vanguard managing director Matt Benchener as its new chief executive.
Benchener will join the Bristol-based firm in March, initially working alongside interim CEO Richard Flint, before taking on the role fully in July.
He leaves Vanguard after 17 years at the US-based investment house. In addition to his role as a managing director, Benchener was also in charge of its retail funds platform Vanguard Personal Investor.
Once Benchener fully assumes the CEO role, Flint will take up a position on the HL board as deputy chair.
Flint was appointed interim CEO in August 2025, following the departure of Dan Olley who stepped down in the wake of HL’s acquisition by a consortium of private equity firms in a deal worth $5.4 billion.
Hargreaves Lansdown has pioneered the retail investment market in the UK by targeting investors directly rather than through IFAs and other intermediaries. The firm, founded in ??, now has close to two million customers and more than £150 billion in assets under management.
However, the company also faces more competition from other investment platforms looking to target investors directly – the likes of Robinhood for example.
“Hargreaves Lansdown created the retail investing market as we know it in the UK, with an unrivalled heritage, highly trusted brand and market-leading insight,” said Benchener. “Its mission and broad reach give it a distinct responsibility in UK society to support the long-term financial wellbeing of millions.
“It is a privilege to lead the company through this exciting stage in its history and to deliver even more for clients and help the UK become a nation of retail investors,” he added.
Meanwhile founder Peter Hargreaves added that he was “delighted to see a CEO who truly understands HL inside and out”.
