Our Leadership Team

Eoin Tonge – Interim CEO 

Eoin was appointed Interim CEO of Primark in March 2025 after serving as Associated British Foods’ Finance Director since April 2023.  

Eoin joined ABF from Marks & Spencer, where he served as Chief Financial and Strategy Officer.   

Eoin started his career in various roles at Goldman Sachs in London, Hong Kong and New York, before joining Irish convenience foods business Greencore, where he held several roles across 14 years including that of Chief Financial Officer. 

Eoin holds a degree in engineering from University College Dublin.  

Lorraine Culligan – Group Director of People and Culture  

Lorraine is a people-first leader who is passionate about building a culture of purpose and belonging at Primark. Responsible for Primark’s People and Culture agenda and Corporate Affairs strategy – the latter of which comprises Primark’s Diversity and Inclusion, Charity, and Communications and Engagement functions – overseeing over 80,000 colleagues across 17 markets. 

Lorraine joined Primark in 2005 as a HR Manager, before going on to hold a number of senior positions, playing an instrumental role in reshaping the role of HR to become ‘People and Culture’, reflecting the business’ evolution as an employer. She was appointed to her current role on the Leadership Team in 2017.  

Lorraine qualified from University College Dublin with a Bachelor of Social Science and a Postgraduate Diploma in Business Studies. She also holds a Diploma in Personnel management CIPD from National College of Ireland. 

Adrian Blackshields – Finance Director 

Adrian has over 20 years’ financial leadership experience in multiple industries, gained across both large multinational organisations and several years in investment banking and management consulting.  

Adrian joined Primark in 2011, initially to build out commercial and strategic financial planning functions within the business. He then took on a variety of senior finance roles in the business, including leading key areas of controllership and establishing finance business partnering capabilities across key strategic and commercial areas of the business. 

Adrian assumed the overall responsibilities as Finance Director on an interim basis in late 2023 and was promoted to the position on a permanent basis in 2024. 

Adrian holds undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in Finance from University College Cork, is a Chartered Accountant and Chartered Financial Analyst. 

 Stephen Regan – Group Sales and Operations Director  

Stephen is a seasoned retail professional who is passionate about the evolving role of the store in the customer’s retail journey. 

Stephen joined Primark straight from university in 1984 as a Trainee Manager in the Penneys Artane store in Dublin. He worked across many locations in Ireland and led the Irish business in his earlier career for over 10 years.  Stephen held a number of leadership roles in Primark, including Sales Director for the UK, Primark’s biggest market, and International Sales Director during a period of significant expansion. He was appointed to his current role as Group Sales & Operations Director in 2017, as part of which he has overall responsibility for Primark’s stores and store operations.  

Stephen proudly sponsors several business initiatives including Primark’s diversity and inclusion agenda and its safety strategy.  

Michelle McEttrick – Chief Customer Officer 

Michelle joined Primark in 2022 as the business’ first Chief Customer Officer. Her remit is to build the Primark brand and bring customer-centricity across markets, channels, and touchpoints, resulting in more customers choosing more of Primark more often. 

Michelle brings deep brand and marketing experience and leadership to the business. Prior to Primark, she was Group Brand Director at Tesco for six years, and before that she was CMO of Barclays Global Retail Banking. She has also held leadership roles at leading marketing and advertising agencies, including Bartle Bogle Hegarty, BBDO and McCann Erickson.  

Michelle is an Executive Committee member of the World Federation of Advertisers, sits on the Marketing Group of Great Britain’s advisory council and is a Fellow of The Marketing Society. A native American, Michelle also holds citizenship of the UK and Ireland. She and her husband Mike live in East London. 

Steve Lawton – Chief Product Officer  

 Steve is a successful product leader with more than 35 years buying and trading experience. 

He joined Primark in 2010 as Director of Menswear and Childrenswear and has since held various leadership roles within Primark. 

In December 2024, Steve was promoted to the role of Chief Product Officer with responsibility for all product categories as well as Sourcing, Quality, Product Sustainability and Compliance, Planning and Space. 

In this role, he is focussed on aligning Primark’s product vision with evolving consumer demands whilst building industry leading supplier relationships and responsible sourcing practices. 

Nigel Jones – Chief Operating Officer 

Nigel joined Primark as Chief Operating Officer in July 2024, assuming responsibility for Primark’s Technology, Supply Chain, Logistics and Transformation strategies.  

Nigel joined Primark from Whitbread, the multinational hospitality business where he spent seven years in the role of Group Operations and Transformation Director. Prior to this, he held a number of positions at Tesco, where he started his career as a Store Manager, and held roles across stores, technology, supply chain, procurement and international operations.     

Nigel has significant leadership expertise and international experience spanning across the UK, Europe, and Southeast Asia. He has a wealth of knowledge in running international supply chains of significant scale across multiple markets, as well as in global organisational transformation and developing new strategies for omnichannel expansion. 

Matt Houston – Group Digital and Strategy Director 

Matt joined Primark in 2018 as Strategy and Transformation Director, before being promoted to Group Digital and Strategy Director in 2021. He is responsible for overseeing Primark’s overall strategic agenda, and for leading and executing Primark’s digital strategy.  

Under Matt’s leadership, Primark has begun the shift from a store-only retailer to a modern, store-led and digitally supercharged retail business. He oversees all of Primark’s digital owned channels & operations, the capture and usage of customer data, and its growing Click & Collect business.   

Matt was previously Managing Director at Javelin Group, a specialist retail advisory business and brings a wealth of experience from his time advising global retailers operating in a broad range of sectors including fashion, department stores and hard goods. Matt holds an MA in Languages from the University of Oxford.