IG loses finance chief Chris Hill as he heads to Hargreaves Lansdown

The UK’s biggest spread-betting company is now in the market for a new finance director as well as a chief executive after its top bean-counter quit.

Chris Hill has been IG Group’s chief financial officer for four years but will move to the same role at FTSE 100 fund manager Hargreaves Lansdown in February. News of Hill’s departure comes less than a month after long-serving chief executive Tim Howkins also announced his retirement.

Sources said that Hill was in talks with Hargreaves Lansdown before Howkins revealed plans to go.

However, his looming departure takes one potential successor to Howkins out of the running.

The changes at the top follow a difficult year for the business, which took a £30 million blow after the Swiss National Bank made its shock decision to scrap the €1.20 cap for the Swiss franc.

The sudden surge in value of the Swissie as a result left hundreds of customers with huge losses.