Last checked at 28 Apr 2017 07:00
28 April 2017
Toople Plc
("Toople" or the "Company" or the "Group")
Directorate Change and Notice of Results
Toople Plc (LSE: TOOP), a provider of bespoke telecom services to UK SMEs, today announces that Neil Taylor is stepping down from his role as part- time Chief Financial Officer ("CFO") and member of the board. Geoffrey Wilson, currently Non-Executive Director of the Company and formerly finance director of TalkTalk Business, will assume the role of part-time CFO with effect from 11 May 2017 until a permanent successor has been appointed. To ensure an orderly handover, Mr Taylor will act as a consultant to Toople until the recruitment process, which is currently underway, is completed.
Richard Horsman, Chairman of Toople PLC, said: "Neil has played a major part in Toople's development over the past 12 months. As set out in the Company's IPO prospectus, Neil was appointed on a part-time basis to establish the Group's financial operations and support the business through its listing and subsequent launch of the Toople brand. He has created a strong finance function which is well positioned to support the Group's growth. On behalf of the Board I would like to thank Neil for all his hard work and dedication."
Mr. Wilson has significant experience in the telecoms industry and has held a number of senior positions in different organisations. He studied Law at Birmingham Polytechnic & he qualified as a Management Accountant in 1991 whilst working for Grand Metropolitan PLC in their licenced retail business, Chef & Brewer. He first joined the telecoms industry in 1993 with Mercury Communications where he held a number of finance roles, becoming financial controller for the customer systems division in 1995. He gained wider experience of the industry as Commercial Manager with Siemens Communications Systems and then as Commercial Director for Your Communications, a subsidiary of United Utilities, which he joined in 1999. Whilst there he led the corporate acquisition & integration programme increasing customer base & product range.
Following a strategic review of the Utility business, Mr. Wilson led the disposal process for Your Communications resulting in the successful sale of the business to Thus in 2006. Most recently he was employed as chief operations officer for TalkTalk business where, over a 4 year period, overall operational costs reduced by 9% whilst supporting revenue growth of 33%. For two years prior to this he held the position of Finance Director for TalkTalk Business.
The Company intends to announce its interim results for the six months ended 31 March 2017 in the week commencing 8th May 2017.
The information contained within this announcement constitutes inside information stipulated under the Market Abuse Regulation (EU) No. 596/2014
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For further information:
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Toople PLC | Via Redleaf |
Andy Hollingworth, Chief Executive Officer |
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Hybridan LLP | 020 3764 2341 |
Claire Louise Noyce |
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Redleaf Communications | 020 7382 4730 |
Rebecca Sanders-Hewett | toople@redleafpr.com |
Charlie Geller |
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Sam Modlin |
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Notes to Editors:
About Toople Plc
Toople Plc offers broadband, VoIP and landline services and mobile phone packages to SMEs in the UK. Customers can visit the Toople web site to pick and choose the services relevant to their business, and receive an instant quote based on the best network available from TalkTalk Business, BT Openreach, BT Wholesale and Vodafone.
The web site is powered by Toople's proprietary Merlin software; a cloud based telecoms resourcing platform that acts as a portal for transparent, live pricing for services across the main four providers. Merlin also makes it easy for customers to add new services to their bespoke packages at any time.
Toople Plc has 3 core elements to its business. Firstly, a contact centre where Toople's agents engage with customers, secondly the wholesale business where other telecoms companies buy our services white labelled and invoice their customers independently and thirdly the merlin software side of the business where wholesalers pay a licence fee monthly to access interconnects with the carriers to provision services and bill their customers ongoing.
Toople plc is addressing a market of over 5 million companies in the UK that are employing less than 50 people. These companies are looking for straightforward telecom solutions, explained in a way that they can understand, provided at attractive consistent prices and backed up by high quality service support. Toople aims to be easy to do business with, offering transparent, competitive pricing and excellent UK based customer service. The Company plans to rapidly increase brand awareness and build its client base through a strategic on-line marketing campaign.