Cppgroup Share News (CPP)

(ShareCast News) - International assistance business CPPGroup announced Jason Walsh as its new group chief executive on Friday, with effect from 16 May.The AIM-traded company said Walsh will also be joining the board of directors from the end of its annual general meeting on 18 May.Walsh was an employee of the group between 2002 and 2014, was the managing director in his last role with CPPGroup and has held the senior approved person functions for both Card Protection Plan and Homecare Insurance.In his previous roles with the group, Jason held a number of senior management positions including business transformation and international product and marketing roles, helping the company through its past FSA issues and to develop its overseas markets.Since leaving CPP in July 2014, he has worked for EY within its financial services advisory practice in a role for one its major UK banking clients, focusing on regulatory and remediation programmes."We are delighted to have secured Jason's services as CPP's chief executive officer," said chairman Sir Richard Lapthorne."CPP has been through a difficult period and we must now focus on rebuilding the business - retaining what is great about the company as well as branching out and expanding into new areas."Jason's knowledge of the business and the sector in which it operates, along with his strong regulatory expertise, will allow the group to do this in a way which is of benefit to our customers, our colleagues and to the creation of long term sustainable value," Sir Richard explained.Walsh said he is delighted to be back with the company, describing it as a great business with more than 700 committed colleagues serving customers across 12 countries."My number one priority is to set a direction for our colleagues and to provide them with an environment in which they can develop and grow, innovate and provide the best possible products and services for our customers, which will in turn generate growing value for our shareholders," he commented.Walsh said he believes there is a platform in place to build on to achieve the company's objectives."Much good work has already been done to rebuild the business over the last few years; the company is on a much firmer financial footing but we now need to add pace to the business transformation plans, get new products to market, develop existing and create new business partner relationships, create a competitive advantage in our digital offering, as well as work with the FCA and PRA in order to restore the group's UK trading permissions as an essential enabler for our goal of achieving better long term performance."