Cohort Regulatory News (CHRT)

5 May 2009 07:00



5 May 2009

Cohort plc

Board and Management Changes at Cohort plc

Andrew Thomis appointed CEO

Cohort plc, the independent technology group, announces the following Board and senior management changes:

Andrew Thomis is appointed Chief Executive of Cohort plc;

Stanley Carter is appointed Co-Chairman of Cohort plc;

Ashley Lane is appointed Managing Director of Cohort plc's wholly owned subsidiary, MASS Consultants.

Andrew Thomis, 44, a Director of Cohort at flotation and currently Managing Director of MASS Consultants ("MASS"), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Cohort plc, has re-joined the Cohort Board and will succeed Stanley Carter as Chief Executive with effect from 25 May 2009.

Stanley Carter, 66, will relinquish his current role as Chief Executive of Cohort plc and will remain on the Board of Cohort, assuming the role of Co-Chairman, in which he will act as deputy to the Chairman, Nick Prest. The role will entail continued close cooperation with the Chairman and the executive team in furthering the business of the Group, in particular in relation to business development, acquisitions and technology.

Ashley Lane, 40, currently Systems Development Director at MASS, will become Managing Director of MASS with effect from 5 May.

Nick Prest, Chairman of Cohort, said: "Stanley Carter founded Cohort and as Chief Executive has presided over the successful development of the Group since flotation in 2006. The Board is extremely grateful to Stanley and pleased that, although he is stepping back from a full-time role, he will continue to make his experience and skills available to the business in his new role.

"We are fortunate and delighted to be able to appoint someone of Andy Thomis's experience and understanding of the business as Stanley's successor. Andy has a strong background in technology and corporate development and MASS has prospered under his leadership. Andy has been involved with Cohort from the outset and is well placed to lead the Group forward."

Directorships (Current and past) held by Andrew Thomis in the past 5 Years

Current Directorships

Mass Limited (from 7 August 2006 to present)

MASS Consultants Limited (from 7 August 2006 to present)

Past directorships

Cohort plc (16 February 2006 to 9 July 2007)

Systems Consultants Services Limited (25 April 2006 to 1 May 2007)

There are no further disclosures required to be made in respect of Andrew Thomis with regard to paragraph (g) of Schedule 2 of the AIM Rules. 

Contact:

Nick Prest, Cohort plc - 020 7645 3988 

Julian Walker, Hogarth Partnership - 020 7645 3988

Notes for Editors on Cohort and a brief biography of Andrew Thomis

Cohort plc

Cohort plc (www.cohortplc.com) is a technology group working primarily for defence (air, land and sea), wider government and industry clients, through three market-facing subsidiary companies:

MASS (www.mass.co.uk) - a specialist defence and aerospace business focused mainly on Electronic Warfare, Information Systems and Electronic Systems development. Acquired by Cohort in August 2006.

SCS (www.scs-ltd.co.uk) - an independent defence consultancy, combining technical expertise with practical experience and domain knowledge.

SEA (www.sea.co.uk) - an advanced surveillance systems and software house with hardware development capability operating in the defence, space, transport and offshore market sectors. Acquired by Cohort in October 2007.

Cohort (AIM: CHRT) was admitted to London's Alternative Investment Market in March 2006. It has its headquarters in Oxfordshire and, through its operating companies, employs in total around 500 staff there and at bases in Bristol, Cambridgeshire, Oxfordshire, Lincolnshire and Somerset.

Andrew Thomis

Andrew Thomis (MEng, Imperial College, 1987) originally joined the Ministry of Defence as a "fast stream" technology specialist and spent around eight years there in a range of roles, including technology development, project management and as a private secretary to the Defence Procurement minister. 

1n 1996 he joined Alvis plc, the armoured vehicle manufacturer, in a role covering strategy, mergers and acquisitions, and business development. He was involved in a number of high profile acquisition projects, in a period in which Alvis consolidated much of the UK industry. 

Following the takeover by BAE Systems, Andrew left Alvis in 2005 and worked with Nick Prest and Stanley Carter on the creation of Cohort plc, holding the position of Finance Director during flotation, and subsequently Corporate Development Director. Andrew stood down from the Board in May 2007 upon his appointment as Managing Director of MASS.