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Primark Leadership Team

Our Leadership Team

Get to know the leaders behind our brand.

Eoin Tonge - Interim CEO

Eoin Tongie

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 & Culture  

Lorraine Culligan

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 Blackshields

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 & Operations Director

Stephen Regan

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.

Steve Lawton - Chief Product Officer

Steve Lawton

 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 Jones

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 - Chief Customer & Digital Officer

Matt Houston

Matt Houston joined Primark in 2018 as Strategy and Transformation Director, before being promoted to Group Digital and Strategy Director in 2021 and then Chief Customer and Digital Officer in July 2025. He 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.

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