Underhill leaves smartFOCUS on high note

Full year results at marketing software firm smartFOCUS are likely to be ahead of market expectations after a strong third quarter in which the sales pipeline grew encouragingly.The market's pleasure at the news was tempered by chief executive officer (CEO) Chris Underhill's announcement of his intention to step down with immediate effect to pursue other interests. He will remain on the board as a non-executive director until the end of the year to support the chairman, Chris Gater, in his search for a new CEO.Curt Bloom, president of smartFocus International, will serve as interim CEO."I remain passionate about smartFOCUS and confident in the company's ability to continue to deliver its financial goals and strategy. I believe that now is the right time for the company to bring in new leadership that can build on its success for the future," said Underhill.