Later life specialist Pure Retirement have appointed Eleanor Thornhill as its chief financial officer (CFO).
As CFO, Thornhill will be part of the executive board, help steer strategic priorities and oversee the financial performance of the business.
She takes over from Jonathan Simpson, who had been Pure Retirement CFO for nearly nine years.
Pure Retirement said the appointment came amidst increased scrutiny from government and the FCA to improve board diversity.
Thornhill was most recently CFO at digital financial services provider, PerfectHome, for around a year.
Prior to that she worked at Provident Financial Group for nearly 17 years in various roles, including finance director of the consumer credit division and head of online financial strategy and performance.
Thornhill said she was pleased to be joining a “growing and dynamic company” that was a market leader in the lifetime mortgage space.
She continued: “With such a company track record, I’m looking forward to working to further enhance their financial performance and to playing a key role in the leadership team.”
Pure Retirement’s chief executive Paul Carter added: “We’re delighted to have someone of Eleanor’s calibre joining the company, and we’ve no doubt that she will be a great asset who will contribute enormously to achieving our long-term goals.
“It’s also a great first step towards the diversification of our board membership, something we’re proud to be championing as part of the wider journey for change.”
Anna is currently the deputy editor for Mortgage Solutions and editor for Specialist Lending Solutions. She has worked as a journalist since 2019, having secured her Gold Standard NCTJ diploma from News Associates in a fast-track six-month course.
She started her career as a report at specialist publication The Insurance Insider covering a wide range of areas before joining Mortgage Solutions and Specialist Lending Solutions in 2021.
In her role, she helps put together and structure the news agenda for the day and writes up press releases, reports, interviews, analyses and exclusives across both titles. She also commissions blogs for Specialist Lending Solutions and hosts online masterclasses and in-person events across the business.
She has been shortlisted for three journalism awards, which include BIBA Journalist and Media Awards Scoop of Year Award in 2020, Headline Money Mortgage Journalist of the Year Award (B2B) in 2022 and 2023.
Prior to being a journalist, Anna worked in ecommerce across Snow + Rock, Cycle Surgery and Runners Need websites, and before that worked at specialist financial PR firm Rostrum.
In her spare time, Anna enjoys reading, seeing live music, and cooking for friends and family. When she gets a chance, she also enjoys hiking, skiing and indoor rock climbing.
