EXECUTIVE CHANGES: GB Group adds former Pearson English chief to board

(Alliance News) - The following is a round-up of London-listed company director and manager changes announced on Friday and not separately reported by Alliance News:

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Aviva PLC - London-based insurer - Hires Martin Strobel as independent non-executive director, starting Friday. Strobel was senior independent director at RSA Insurance Group PLC, which recently was acquired and broken up. As an executive, Strobel was chief executive officer of Swiss insurer Baloise-Holding AG, operating partner of private equity firm Advent International Corp.

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Direct Line Insurance Group PLC - Bromley, Kent-based motor and home insurer - Hires Tracy Corrigan as independent non-executive director, starting November. Corrigan is a financial journalist who most recently was chief strategy officer of Dow Jones, part of News Corp, and also wrote for the Financial Times and Daily Telegraph.

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GB Group PLC - Chester, England-based digital identity and fraud prevention software - Hires Bhav Singh as independent non-executive director, starting November 1. Singh is founder & CEO of Sandbox, a digital learning company. Before Sandbox, he was CEO of Pearson English, a division of Pearson PLC that teaches English as a foreign language.

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musicMagpie PLC - Manchester-based technology reseller - Still looking for a new chief financial officer after the promotion of Ian Storey to chief operating officer from CFO. "The recruitment process remains ongoing, with a shortlist of high quality candidates well progressed," it says.

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Gfinity PLC - London-based e-sports and gaming - Andy MacLeod steps down as non-executive director on Friday after four years.

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James Fisher & Sons PLC - Barrow In Furness, Cumbria-based marine services - Hires Kash Pandya as independent non-executive director, starting November 1. Pandya currently is CEO of mobile phone tower operator Helios Towers PLC but will shift to non-executive deputy chair of the company come its April annual general meeting. Before Helios Towers, Pandya was on the board of temporary power provider Aggreko PLC.

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Brown Advisory US Smaller Cos PLC - investment trust formerly known as Jupiter US Smaller Cos - Confirms Stephen White has taken over as board chair, moving from chair designate and replacing Gorgon Grender, who retires after 23 years as chair and 28 years as a director.

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Global Resources Investment Trust PLC - mining assets investor - Hires Richard Lockwood and Malcolm Burne as chair and executive director, respectively, effective immediately. James Normand steps down as chair, while Martin Lampshire remains executive director. Notes both Lockwood and Burne are "veteran fund managers", experienced in natural resources investment.

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Microsaic Systems PLC - Surrey, England-based mass spectrometry instruments for pharmaceutical industry - Bevan Metcalf to retire as finance director on December 17, after six years in post. Microsaic has hired a interim head of finance until a permanent finance director is found.

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Alien Metals Ltd - miner with projects in Mexico, Australia and Greenland - Jo Battershill as non-executive director, starting immediately. Battershill was appointed CEO of London-listed Anglesey Mining PLC back in July. He was a broker at Canaccord Genuity Group Inc and UBS Group AG, ending as head of Sales & Distribution of Australian equities in the Europe, Middle East and Africa region for Canaccord. A geologist, he previously had worked in mining operations at Western Mining Corp in Australia.

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Kazera Global PLC - diamonds and rare earths explorer in South Africa and Namibia - Co-CEO Larry Johnson leaves company immediately, having served for five years. Kazera says Johnson's main responsibility was its tantalite mine in Namibia, where he has been based for two years. DJ Drilling will take over day-to-day operations of the mine, while Johnson will return to the US. Co-CEO Dennis Edmonds will become sole CEO. Kazera says 3.5 million shares will be issued to Johnson, the balance of 4.0 million shares due in lieu of compensation. Kazera has 754.5 million shares total.

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Majedie Investments PLC - investment trust that aims to maximise total return and increase dividends ahead of inflation - David Henderson will step down as chair at company's annual general meeting, which is held in January. Christopher Getley, who joined the board in July 2020, will be promoted to chair. Getley was a partner and fund manager at Cazenove & Co and a director at Deutsche Asset Management.

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Base Resources Ltd - mineral sands developer with assets in Kenya and Madagascar - Keith Spence will retire as chair at AGM on November 26, having been chair since 2015. Non-Executive Director Michael Stirzaker will be promoted to chair. He has been a board member since 2014.

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By Tom Waite; thomaslwaite@alliancenews.com

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