9 Jan 2019 07:00
9 January 2019
The SimplyBiz Group plc
(the "Company" or "SimplyBiz")
Directorate change
Appointment of Gary Hughes as Senior Independent Non-Executive Director
SimplyBiz (AIM: SBIZ), the leading independent provider of compliance and business services to financial advisers and financial institutions in the UK, is pleased to announce the appointment of Gary Hughes as Senior Independent Non-Executive Director and member of the Audit Committee with effect from 8 January 2019. Gary will be appointed as Head of the Audit Committee following the announcement of the results for the year ended 31 December 2018.
Gary Hughes qualified as a Chartered Accountant at Ernst and Whinney before moving to take up industry roles which included finance director at Forte Plc, Emap Plc and Gala Coral Group. Whilst holding these executive positions, Gary was also a Non-Executive Director and chaired the audit committee for each of J Sainsbury Plc, for 10 years, and Booker Group Plc, for two years. Gary also held a senior position at Apax Partners and advised at board level for a number of their investments. Since leaving Apax in 2018, Gary has taken up a number of non-executive director appointments.
Ken Davy, Non-Executive Chairman, said:
"I am delighted to welcome Gary to the SimplyBiz Board. He brings a wealth of public company experience and will complement the range of skills we currently have on the Board. We all look forward to working with Gary."
Additional Information
The following information is being disclosed pursuant to Rule 17 and paragraph (g) of Schedule 2 of the AIM Rules for Companies.
Gary William Hughes, aged 56, is, or has during the last five years been, a director or partner of the following companies and partnerships:
Current directorships/partnerships | Former directorships/partnerships within last five years |
Rocks Basketball Limited Scottish Event Campus Limited QD Events Limited
|
Scottish Football Association Limited Booker Group Limited Premier Farnell Limited Smart Technologies (GB) Limited The People's Operator Plc J Sainsbury Plc Matomy Media Group Limited Smart Technologies Corporation Apax Partners LLP Majid Al Futtaim, Retail LLP General Healthcare Group Limited GHG 2008 (Unrestricted Subsidiary) Limited GHG 1 (Hospital Operations) Limited
|
Gary Hughes was a Director of Suitcase Two Limited and Suitcase Three Limited, part of the Gala Coral group of companies ("Gala Coral Group"), having been recruited to assist with a material restructuring of the Gala Coral Group which completed in June 2010. Gary was part of the rescue management team that successfully negotiated a significant debt for equity swap that facilitated the wider group to be restructured in order that it could continue to trade, saving many jobs. As part of the wider group restructuring, Suitcase Two Limited and Suitcase Three Limited were subject to voluntary creditor liquidations.
There are no further disclosures required to be made in respect of Gary Hughes' appointment.
For further information please contact:
The SimplyBiz Group plc | via Instinctif Partners |
Matt Timmins (Joint Chief Executive Officer) Neil Stevens (Joint Chief Executive Officer)
| |
Zeus Capital (Nominated Adviser and Sole Broker) | +44 (0) 20 3829 5000 |
Martin Green Andrew Jones Pippa Hamnett
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Instinctif Partners | +44 (0) 20 7866 7938 / SimplyBiz@instinctif.com |
Giles Stewart Rachel Cashmore |
Notes to editors
With over 3,600 member firms in the UK, SimplyBiz is a leading independent provider of compliance and business services to financial advisers, including directly authorised IFAs, directly authorised mortgage advisers, workplace consultants and directly authorised consumer credit brokers. It also provides marketing and promotion, product panelling and co-manufacturing services to more than 135 financial institutions, through access to its membership.