Career moves: Paddy Power Betfair, ASOS and others

Paddy Power Betfair finance chief joins string of management departures

Betting giant Paddy Power Betfair’s chief of finance, Alex Gersh, will be resigning from his position once the company finds a replacement for him. Gersh’s resignation adds to a list of resignations that took place at Paddy Power over the last two months including Cormac Barry, head of the company’s Australian business, who left in January and marketing boss Johnny Devitt who departed last month. Gersh, who was CFO of Betfair and continued as head of finance once it merged with Paddy Power in 2016, will stand down once his successor is appointed.

ASOS finance head Helen Ashton to stand down at end of April

Online fashion retailer ASOS said its finance head, Helen Ashton, will be resigning from her post at the company by the end of April. However, Ashton will remain at the company until the end of August to “ensure an orderly handover”. ASOS’s CEO Nick Beighton will be covering Ashton’s position until the group finds a replacement. ASOS released a statement, commenting on Ashton’s exit and said, “The board expresses its appreciation for the contribution that Helen has made to the group during her tenure and wishes her all the very best in the next stage of her career.”

Liberty appoints Rob Unsworth as new finance boss

Liberty of London, the upmarket retailer, has appointed Rob Unsworth as its new CFO. Unsworth brings a wealth of experience with him, having served 20 years in the retail sector, with his most recent role being finance director at Debenhams. Adil Mehboob-Khan, CEO of Liberty of London, said: “With Rob’s appointment, we further strengthen the management team with a high- profile expert from retail and finance. His hands-on approach, team-building skills and financial acumen will help support the company in achieving its full potential.”

Giles Hurley to become Aldi’s new UK and Ireland chief executive

Aldi, the discount food retailer,has confirmed the appointment of Giles Hurley as its new chief executive officer. Hurley will be replacing Matthew Barnes, who has been promoted to the coordination board of Aldi South, the parent firm of Aldi’s UK operations. Hurley is a longtime Aldi employee who has held multiple positions at the firm over the years, such as training director, group buying director and UK group managing director. Hurley will take up his position in May.

Shop Direct appoints Henry Birch as new CEO

Shop Direct, an online retailer, has made Henry Birch its new CEO. Birch will be replacing interim chief executive, Derek Harding, once he joins the firm later in the year. Currently the CEO of gambling and leisure company Rank Group, he brings a wealth of experience with him having also served as the CEO of rival William Hill Online.

Speaking about Birch’s appointment, Shop Direct chairman Aidan Barclay commented, “Henry is an experienced CEO and an exceptional leader. From both Rank Group and William Hill Online, he brings a track record of reshaping businesses to become more customer-focused, data-driven and technology-enabled while simultaneously driving outstanding financial performance.” Birch added, “I’m looking forward to driving continued growth as Shop Direct continues to outpace its competition, and am excited to join the team to carve out the next chapter.”

Sprue Aegis finance director John Gahan resigns with immediate effect

Sprue Aegis, a home safety product supplier, has announced the resignation of its finance director, John Gahan, effective immediately. Gahan was a part of the company for eight years and prior to joining Sprue Aegis, he served at GKN where he held multiple senior financial and operational roles. The company’s executive chairman, Graham Whitworth, commented on the resignation and said, “On behalf of the board, I wish to place on record our thanks to John for the contribution he has made to the company since he joined in 2010 and wish him all the best in his future endeavours.”

Havelock Europa CFO Donald Borland resigns

Havelock Europa, an interior design services company, has announced the resignation of its CFO Donald Borland. The firm also stated that its newly appointed head of finance, Bruce Middleton, will be responsible for all finance related matters. Havelock Europa CEO Shaun Ormrod said: “On behalf of the board, I’d like to thank Donald for everything he has done in his time in the role. He leaves with our best wishes for the future and I look forward to announcing a replacement at board level in due course.”

Bank of Ireland shakes up executive team with new Retail Ireland CEO

The Bank of Ireland (BOI) has promoted Gavin Kelly, the current CIO, to CEO of its Retail Ireland division. In his new role, Kelly will be responsible for overseeing the provision of banking products and other financial services to personal, business and wealth management customers. Kelly joined the company 11 years ago and has held the CIO role for 5 months. Francesca McDonagh, CEO of BOI, said “I would like to congratulate Gavin Kelly on his appointment as CEO of Retail Ireland. Retail Ireland provides the touchpoints between the bank and many of our customers in Ireland, and will therefore play a major part in Bank of Ireland’s transformation. I would like to thank those leaving the Bank and wish them very well for the future, and congratulate those who have expanded roles.”

Jim Barber becomes new COO at UPS in possible leadership succession plan

Delivery company UPS has appointed Jim Barber as its new COO. Barber has been a part of the company for 33 years and has held multiple positions over the years, including a role as a delivery driver, when he first joined. UPS’s CEO David Abney  commented on the appointment and said “I look forward to his actions to achieve more growth through driven execution, and capitalising on investments in network, technology and expanded market. He possesses tremendous experience, knowledge and ability to generate sustained performance gains, which will draw on the deep talent within our management team.”

Aerion appoints Tom Vice as President and COO

Aerion, the US aircraft developer, has announced the appointment of Tom Vice as its new President and COO. In his new role, Vice will be responsible for the development of the company’s AS2 supersonic business jet. Prior to joining Aerion, Vice served as president of Northrop Grumman’s technical services sector. He will be reporting to the company’s executive chairman and CEO, Brian Barents. Barents spoke about Vice’s appointment and said, “We are immensely pleased to attract someone of Tom’s accomplishments and experience. He is a visionary and inspiring leader, with relentless discipline and long-term focus. He strengthens our impressive team as we transition from a focus on advanced design to a program development and production orientation.”

ProPhotonix names Edward Dolan as new CFO

ProPhotonix, the US-based designer and manufacturer of LED illumination solutions and laser modules, has confirmed the appointment of Edward Dolan as its new CFO, effective immediately. The firm also added that its’ current CFO, Phil Feeley, will be retiring at the end of May 2018. Prior to joining ProPhotonix, Dolan served at multiple companies such as AC Lordi, Nypro Inc, Jabil Inc, Yankee Candle Corp, and 3COM Corp. ProPhotonix’s CEO Tim Losik said of th appointment: “We are pleased to welcome Edward to ProPhotonix at an exciting time for the company. Ed brings a wealth of experience and talent and I look forward to working closely with him as we continue to grow our business.”

Lite Access Technologies appoints a new CEO

Lite Access Technologies, the Canadian fibre optic maker, has announced the appointment of Carlo M. Shimoon as its new CEO and President. Shimoon brings more than 25 years of experience with him, having served for multi-location and multi-national operations in 4 countries including Canada, USA, Mexico and the UK. He has also held the position of CEO at multiple private and public corporations. According to reports, Lite Access is making leadership changes to strengthen and align senior management to support the firm’s dual strategy of obtaining periodic project revenues in North America and capitalizing on substantial opportunities in the UK.

In order to support this strategy, the company’s current CEO, Mike Plotnikoff, has resigned but will remain in an advisory role for the incoming CEO. Speaking about his appointment, Shimoon commented, “I am delighted to join the Company and to become part of a dynamic team that will continue to drive innovation and raise quality standards in the infrastructure sector”. He also went on to add, “I look forward to this leadership role with the objective of making the Company a premier global player in the space.”

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