1 Jun 2020 14:06
1 June 2020
Dods Group plc
("Dods" or the "Company")
Board Appointments and Internal Reorganisation
Dods, a leading technology company specialising in data, code, business intelligence and media, announces that Simon Bullock, Dods' Chief Financial Officer, has been appointed to the Board of Directors with immediate effect following completion of his probationary period.
In addition, Con Conlon, who founded the Merit Group which was acquired in July 2019, is appointed Managing Director - Dods Technology, and Munira Ibrahim, who has served as Chief Revenue Officer since May 2019 when she joined Dods from Reuters, is appointed Managing Director - Dods Intelligence. The Board has resolved, subject to completion of regulatory due diligence, to appoint both Con Conlon and Munira Ibrahim as executive directors of the Company as soon as possible. A further announcement will be made in due course to disclose the information required under Schedule 2 paragraph (g) of the AIM Rules for Companies in respect of their proposed Board appointments.
Dods wide range of business units are to be consolidated with immediate effect as follows:
· Dods Technology will comprise the IT capabilities of both Dods and the Merit Group
· Dods Intelligence will comprise the remaining revenue generating units including business and political intelligence, digital and printed media, training, events and associated companies.
In the light of the COVID-19 restrictions, the Directors had taken a 20% reduction in their remuneration. The Board has now resolved to extend this for the next three months to all senior employees. Also following advice received from a pre-eminent search firm the Board has decided not to recruit a new CEO.
David Hammond, Executive Chairman, stated: "These appointments and the internal reorganisation advance the transformation of Dods from a publishing company to a high-tech business services group well poised for the new business and political environments that are emerging from the current pandemic."
Information in respect of Mr Bullock, as required by Schedule 2(g) of the AIM Rules for Companies, is set out below.
Simon Charles Bullock, age 50, currently holds the following directorships and partnerships:
· Dods Parliamentary Communications Limited
· Holyrood Communications Ltd
· Fenman Limited
· Meritgroup Limited
· Merit Processes Limited
· Monitoring Services Limited
· Political Wizard Limited
· Total Politics Limited
· Training Journal Limited
· VDP Limited
· Vacher Dod Publishing Limited
· Social Lens Limited
· Mislex (420) Limited
· HAB Land Ltd (in liquidation)
· HAB at the Acre Ltd
· HAB at Lovedon Fields Ltd
· HAB Land Finance Plc (in liquidation)
· BAH Restructuring Limited (in liquidation)
· Bullock & Bullock Limited
· Lady Yorke Park Freehold Limited
· Lady Yorke Park Management Limited
Liquidators have been appointed to HAB Land Ltd, HAB Land Finance Plc and BAH Restructuring Limited following creditors voluntary liquidations. BAH Restructuring Limited was incorporated to restructure HAB Land Ltd and HAB Land Finance Plc. Whilst BAH Restructuring has not been dissolved yet, the statement of affairs notes that estimated deficiencies to unsecured creditors are likely to be approximately £71,129. Whilst HAB Land Ltd has not been dissolved yet, the statement of affairs notes that deficiencies to unsecured creditors are likely to be approximately £2,575,202. Whilst HAB Land Finance Plc has not been dissolved yet, the statement of affairs notes that deficiencies to unconnected unsecured creditors are approximately £37,500 with £2,309,707 due to HAB Land Ltd. HAB Land Ltd, HAB Land Finance Plc and BAH Restructuring Limited are under the control of liquidators from KPMG.
Directorships and partnerships held within the last five years:
· JLG Group Plc
· HAB Housing Limited
· HAB Capital Limited
· Quortus Limited
· Nextgenaccess Holdco Limited
· Nextgenaccess Ltd
· HAB Holt SPV Limited
· Harley Street Clinics Worldwide Plc (in liquidation)
· Dunmail 2017 Project Limited
· Gigaclear Limited
· FTTC Limited
· Rutland Telecom Limited
· Cotswolds Broadband C.I.C.
· Tethyan Resources Limited
· Blue Chip Beaconsfield Limited
Simon Bullock was appointed as a Director to Harley Street Clinics Worldwide Plc on 20 February 2017 and resigned on 25 May 2018. On 20 May 2019, being within 12 months of Simon Bullock resigning as Director, Harley Street Clinics Worldwide Plc appointed liquidators in relation to a creditors voluntary liquidation. Whilst Harley Street Clinics Worldwide Plc has not been dissolved yet the administrators have estimated that deficiencies to unsecured creditors are likely to be approximately £99,864.
Mr Bullock has no shareholding in the Company.
Save for the information set out above, there are no further disclosures to be made in accordance with Rule 17, Schedule 2(g) of the AIM Rules for Companies in respect of the appointment of Mr Bullock.
This announcement is released by Dods Group plc and contains inside information for the purposes of Article 7 of the Market Abuse Regulation (EU) 596/2014 ("MAR"), and is disclosed in accordance with the Company's obligations under Article 17 of MAR.
For the purposes of MAR and Article 2 of Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2016/1055, this announcement is being made on behalf of the Company by David Hammond, Executive Chairman.
For further information, please contact:
Dods Group plc
David Hammond - Executive Chairman 020 7593 5500
www.dodsgroup.com
Liberum (Nomad and Broker)
Neil Patel 020 3100 2000
Cameron Duncan
Louis Davies