26 Apr 2016 07:00
PREMIER VETERINARY GROUP PLC
("PVG" or "the Company")
BOARD CHANGES
London, UK, 26 April 2016 - Premier Veterinary Group plc (LSE: PVG) announces that Juliet Thompson has been appointed as a director and as the independent non-executive Chairman of the Company with effect from 25 April 2016. She succeeds as Chairman Iain Ross who oversaw the successful reverse takeover of the Company into Ark Therapeutics early last year. Iain Ross will remain on the Board as a non-executive director.
Daniel Smith, the Chief Financial Officer, will be leaving the Company in September this year to move to another part of the UK. The Board has commenced a comprehensive recruitment process to identify Daniel's replacement and a further announcement will be made in due course.
Juliet Thompson, a chartered accountant, is currently also a non-executive director of Nexstim, a medical technology company quoted on Nasdaq in Finland and Sweden and was Vice President of Corporate Finance of Precision Ocular, a company focused on retinal diseases, for which she recently led a successful fundraising. Juliet has built a strong track record advising healthcare corporates on strategy and the capital markets. She formerly headed up the healthcare team at Stifel and was a founder of Code Securities, a healthcare investment banking boutique, which became Nomura Code Securities where she was Head of Corporate Finance.
There are no further disclosures required under LR 9.6.13.
Iain Ross, non-executive and former Chairman commented:
"As previously indicated, we have been looking to strengthen our Board with the appointment of an additional independent director. Having been able to attract someone of Juliet's calibre, the Board feels it is appropriate that she joins as our independent non-executive Chairman. She brings extensive City and corporate experience which will be invaluable as we seek to grow the business aggressively."
For further information, please contact:
Premier Veterinary Group plc Tel: +44 (0)117 970 4130
Dominic Tonner, Chief Executive Officer
Daniel Smith, Chief Financial Officer
Square1 Consulting Tel: +44 (0)207 929 5599
David Bick/Brian Alexander
Note to Editors:
PVG's services to third party veterinary practices, through its wholly-owned subsidiary Premier Vet Alliance ("PVA"), include the administration and support of a preventative healthcare program for pets branded "Pet Care Plan"; and the operation of a buying group (the "PVA Buying Group") which offers enhanced discounts to member practices on pharmaceutical and consumable spending.
Pet Care Plan is a structured, preventative healthcare program for cats, dogs and rabbits and is available only through veterinary practices. The program is seen as a way of providing gold standard care for pets at an affordable price for the client, by way of fixed monthly payments.
Pet Care Plan uses a clinical approach to prevention, as this is the most effective method of ensuring illnesses are diagnosed more quickly and not given a chance to advance. What truly sets Pet Care Plan apart is its unique approach of offering an end-to-end solution and support to the practice, which has been proven to work extremely well. PVA works alongside practices to create a tailor-made, cost-effective service for clients, one that delivers excellent care to their patients and significantly improves practice performance.
The PVA Buying Group, is now the UK's largest veterinary buying group without group interests in veterinary practices or veterinary wholesalers, offering its members the best discounts across the industry on pharmaceutical and consumable spend.
For further details: http://www.premiervetalliance.co.uk/
This announcement includes "forward-looking statements" which include all statements other than statements of historical facts, including, without limitation, those regarding the Company's financial position, business strategy, plans and objectives of management for future operations, and any statements preceded by, followed by or that include forward-looking terminology such as the words "targets", "believes", "estimates", "expects", "aims", "intends", "will", "can", "may", "anticipates", "would", "should", "could" or similar expressions or the negative thereof. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors beyond the Company's control that could cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are based on numerous assumptions regarding the Company's present and future business strategies and the environment in which the Company will operate in the future. These forward-looking statements speak only as at the date of this announcement. The Company expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to disseminate any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements contained in this announcement to reflect any change in the Company's expectations with regard thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statements are based. As a result of these factors, readers are cautioned not to rely on any forward-looking statement.