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Board Changes

16 Dec 2010 07:00

RNS Number : 0558Y
First Artist Corporation PLC
16 December 2010
 



 

First Artist Corporation Plc

("First Artist" or the "Company")

 

Board Changes

 

Pursuant to the announcements made on 08 December and 10 December 2010, First Artist Corporation plc (AIM:FAN), the media, events and entertainment management group, today announces the following changes to the Board of Directors.

 

David Stoller, Jeremy Barbera and Shirley Stapleton will join the Board with immediate effect fulfilling the respective appointments of Executive Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and Finance Director.

 

David Stoller - Executive Chairman

 

David Cary Stoller, aged 60, will join First Artist as Executive Chairman with immediate effect.

 

The Stoller family has had a significant involvement in the arts as investors, performers, organizers and promoters for over 30 years. Mr. Stoller has been Chairman and CEO of Transload America Inc. since 2003.

 

Mr. Stoller began his professional career as an attorney in 1982. He was a partner and co-head of global project finance for Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy, LLP where he helped build one of the world's largest and most successful project finance practices, participating personally in financings totalling more than $4 billion.

At the end of 1992, Mr. Stoller joined Charterhouse Group International, a large New York City-based private equity firm, as Chairman of its Environmental Capital Group. In 1993, Mr. Stoller, through the Charterhouse Environmental Capital Group, launched American Disposal Services, an integrated waste management company that ultimately acquired and consolidated, with $34mm in equity capital, more than 80 waste management companies. American Disposal had a successful IPO in July 1996 and was sold in 1998 to Allied Waste at a price exceeding $1.1 billion.

In August of 1998, Mr. Stoller left Charterhouse to launch Americana Financial Services, raising over $40mm in private equity capital. Americana (now the American Wholesale Insurance Group) is currently among the largest private wholesale insurance brokerage in the United States.

Mr. Stoller holds a B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania, an MA from the Graduate Faculty of the New School for Social Research and a J.D. from Fordham University School of Law. He is also a graduate of the Harvard Business School Advanced Management Program.

 

Jeremy Barbera - Chief Executive Officer

 

James Jeremy Barbera, aged, 54, will join First Artist as Chief Executive Officer with immediate effect.

 

Mr. Barbera has been Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive of MSGI and its predecessor businesses since he founded MSGI Direct as an Entertainment Marketing company in 1987.

 

Mr. Barbera pioneered the practice of database marketing for the live entertainment industry in the 1980's, achieving nearly one hundred percent market share in New York. Under his leadership, MSGI, through their Pegasus Internet subsidiary, originated the business of web-based ticketing in 1995 and became the dominant services provider in every major entertainment market in America. Their principal areas of concentration also included: financial services, fundraising and publishing.

 

General Electric became the largest client and shareholder of MSGI in 1998 and remained in that dual role for five years. Other major clients included: American Express, Walt Disney Company, Clear Channel Communications, Carnegie Hall and every single theater on Broadway. By 1999, MSGI had generated annual revenues of $250 million with a market capitalization well in excess of $1.5 billion.

MSGI was named one of the 50 fastest growing public companies in both 2001 and 2002 by Crains New York Business. In April 2004, Mr. Barbera completed the divestiture of the MSGI legacy businesses and re-birthed the company in the homeland security and counterterrorism industry as MSGI Security Solutions.

Prior to founding MSGI Direct, Mr. Barbera was a research scientist based at NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center, working on such groundbreaking missions as Pioneer Venus and the Global Atmospheric Research Program. Mr. Barbera has more than 20 years of experience in the areas of entertainment, technology, software, marketing and analytics. Mr. Barbera is a Physicist educated at New York University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

 

Shirley Stapleton - Finance Director

 

Shirley Rosalie Stapleton (previously Dean), aged 57, will join First Artist as Finance Director with immediate effect.

 

Ms. Stapleton is a Chartered Accountant (New Zealand qualified) and has held a variety of finance roles, principally in connection with the airline industry. Previous roles include, Head of Procurement at Gate Gourmet, Head of Programme Delivery Procurement at British Airways Plc and Corporate Development Manager at Air Zealand. Ms. Stapleton has been fulfilling the role of Finance Director at First Artist since April 2010.

 

Directorships

 

In addition to their directorship of the Company, David Stoller, Jeremy Barbera and Shirley Stapleton hold or have held the following directorships, and are or were a member of the following partnerships, over or within the past five years:

 

Director

Current Directorships/Partnerships

Former Directorships/Partnerships in the last five years

David Cary Stoller

Artspan LLC

Stoller Family Partners LP

Transload America Inc

MSGI Security Solutions, Inc.

Pivot Entertainment LLC

Nil

James Jeremy Barbera

MSGI Security Solutions Inc

Pivot Entertainment LLC

 

Nil

Shirley Rosalie Stapleton

Strawberry Hill Associates Ltd

Nil

 

Directors Holdings

 

As at the date of this announcement, David Stoller and Jeremy Barbera have a beneficial interest over 9,900,000 Ordinary Shares, representing 24.8 per cent. of the issued share capital of the Company. This holding is held by Pivot Entertainment LLC, a Company controlled by Mr. Stoller and Mr. Barbera and their respective families.

 

In addition, David Stoller has a beneficial interest over 2,000,000 Ordinary Shares, representing 5.0 per cent. of the issued share capital of the Company. This holding is held by Stoller Family Partners LP, a Company of which Mr. Stoller is a Partner.

 

The combined interest of Pivot Entertainment LLC and Stoller Family Partners LP is 11,900,000 Ordinary Shares representing 29.86 per cent. of the issued share capital of the Company.

 

Shirley Stapleton does not hold any Ordinary Shares in the Company.

 

Resignation

 

David Noble has resigned as Non-Executive Director with immediate effect. The Company is in discussions with suitable candidates to join the Board as Non-Executive Director. A further announcement will be made when appropriate.

 

Jeremy Barbera, Chief Executive Officer of First Artist commented, "Having spent a lifetime in the media and entertainment industry, I am particularly excited to lead the businesses of First Artist which enjoy a legacy of success on both sides of the Atlantic. David Stoller and I look forward to strengthening and growing First Artist whilst taking the business into additional territories of what has become a global marketplace".

 

Jon Smith, Executive Vice-Chairman of First Artist commented, "It has been an honor and privilege to be at the helm of First Artist for so many years. Since I started the company from my living room in 1986 it has grown to become a global brand in both sport and entertainment. I am delighted to now hand the reigns over to David Stoller and Jeremy Barbera, two unique luminaries of the entertainment and media worlds. I look forward to supporting the further evolution of the business under their care and feel confident that the future for our shareholders and staff will be very positive. I would also like to add my thanks to everybody who has helped make my own journey so rewarding."

 

Enquiries:

 

First Artist Corporation Plc

Jeremy Barbera/David Stoller

Jon Smith/ Shirley Stapleton Tel: +44 20 79930000

 

Seymour Pierce Limited

Stewart Dickson / Tom Sheldon Tel: +44 20 71078000

 

 

This information is provided by RNS
The company news service from the London Stock Exchange
 
END
 
 
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