Roger Devlin
Profile Verified by The Marque
Last Updated: 22 Sep 2026
Chairman
London, GB
Profile Verified by The Marque
Last Updated: 22 Sep 2026
THE MARQUE
In Their Own Right
Biography
Roger Devlin is Chairman of Persimmon PLC, the largest housebuilder in Britain and a FTSE 100 company.
Previously, Roger has served as Chairman of William Hill, Marstons, and Gamesys. He has also held various private equity Chairmanships including Venere (Advent, sold to Expedia), Traveljigsaw (Isis, sold to Priceline) and Principal Hotels (Permira, sold to Starwood).
In an executive capacity, Roger worked for Hill Samuel and Hilton/Ladbrokes.
In 2012 Roger was appointed as the first Senior Independent Director of the Football Association, a post he held until 2019.
Roger wrote and produced Breaking the Bank, a feature film starring Kelsey Grammer and Tamsin Grieg which was nominated for best UK comedy in 2015.
Roger Devlin is currently Chair of Sunningdale Golf Club and owns and breeds racehorses, including Pyledriver.
He sits on the board of The Sutton Trust, a charity that tries to address inequality and fights for social mobility.
Roger was educated at Manchester Grammar School and Wadham College Oxford. He is married with two daughters.
The Record
Background
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2018 — Present
Chairman
Persimmon PLC
With headquarters in York, the Persimmon Group operates from 30 regional UK offices. The Group trades under the brand names of Persimmon Homes, Charles Church and Westbury Partnerships, and builds homes across England, Wales and Scotland.
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2013 — 2018
Chairman
Marston's PLC
Marston’s is one of the country’s top pub businesses and a leading brewer of premium cask and bottled beers.
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2012 — 2017
Chairman
Porthaven
Porthaven is a company operating independent care homes across the UK.
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1993 — 2008
Corporate Development Director
The Hilton Group
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1978 — 1992
Hill Samuel
Hill Samuel was a leading British merchant bank and financial services company. In 1987 the firm was taken over by TSB, one of the UK’s largest retails banks at the time.
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2018 — 2021
Chairman
William Hill PLC
William Hill PLC was one of the largest betting and gaming companies in the world and employed more than 12,500 people. It was founded in the UK in 1934 and the company was listed on the London Stock Exchange. In 2020 the company agreed to be taken over by Caesars Entertainment and in April 2021 William Hill was delisted from the LSE.
In The News
Newsfeed
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25 October 2025 · The Times
Why we’ve had to pause investment in horse racing
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11 June 2025 · Thoroughbred Daily News
Roger Devlin Appointed as HBLB Chair
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9 February 2025 · The Times
Revealed: the shortlist for the 2025 Non-Executive Director Awards
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30 October 2024 · The Independent
See house being built by Persimmon for domestic abuse survivors take shape
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25 May 2024 · Sky News
FTSE-100 housebuilder Persimmon weighs £1bn bid for rival Cala
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12 July 2023 · The Times
How the PGA Tour and LIV Golf joined forces
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24 June 2023 · The Mirror
Royal Ascot 2023: Pyledriver takes earnings to £2million with "miraculous" comeback
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6 June 2023
‘Construction is the great enabler for the Welsh economy’
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12 May 2023 · Racing Post
Pyledriver's sibling Shagpyle provides a pleasant surprise with debut Ascot victory
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14 March 2023
Persimmon names new independent non-executive directors as two depart board
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2 March 2023 · The Times
Housing market still falling down
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19 January 2023 · Racing Post
Group 1-winning owners reveal 'deep concern' over impact of affordability checks
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4 November 2022
All The Winners At Welsh Horse Racing Awards 2022
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23 July 2022 · Racing Post
'I knew he was going to win' Pyledriver stuns fancied rivals in King George
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Formative Years
Education
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University of Oxford
MA (Hons), Law
1975 — 1978
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Manchester Grammar School
1968 — 1975
Areas Of Focus