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Career moves including Bunzl, Kier Group and RSA

CFOs, finance directors and other leaders on the move in the UK and elsewhere.

Bunzl’s announces retirement of long running finance director

FTSE-100 listed distribution company Bunzl has announced that its finance director Brian May is stepping down after spending 13 years in the role. May is set to leave the company in February 2020. Replacing him will be Richard Howes, who is presently the CFO of Inchcape. Howes will join Bunzl in September and assume his CFO position in January followed by a transition period.

Bunzl’s chief executive Frank van Zanten said: “I am delighted that following an extensive search and selection process we have been able to appoint Richard to succeed Brian. Richard has a wealth of experience across a number of sectors, working for multi-site businesses with substantial global footprints. He has a strong track record of leading finance functions at a number of international public companies.”

Kier Group finance director Bev Dew to step down

Construction company Kier Group, a member of the FTSE-250 index, has announced the resignation of its finance director Bev Dew. Dew worked for over four years in the role and will depart by 30 September 2019. The company has started seeking a successor for Dew.

RSA revamps UK and Ireland management team

Insurer RSA Insurance Group, a FTSE-100 constituent, has made significant changes to its UK and Ireland management team. Kay Martin has been appointed as the managing director of its UK personal lines. Martin will replace David Coughlan, who is departing from RSA. RSA’s COO Darren McKenzie and CFO Matt Hotson are set to exit the insurance group as well. Louisa Leonard is the new COO of UK and Ireland. RSA Irish’s CFO Gavin Wilkinson will take over Hotson’s role.

Scott Egan, CEO of RSA UK and International, commented upon the changes: “Our personal lines team is at the forefront of our business and critical to our success in the UK. Kay has impressive credentials for the role and will bring both energy and expertise to RSA. I am delighted she has chosen to join us and I am looking forward to working with her closely to build an exciting next phase for our personal lines business. I am also pleased to welcome Louisa, Gavin and David Germain to the UK&I business. I thank David, Matt and Darren for the hard work and dedication they have shown during their time with the organisation, and wish them the best for the future.”

The Co-op appoints former Lloyd’s of London COO as new finance boss

British consumer co-operative Co-op Group has appointed Shirine Khoury-Haq in the role of chief finance officer. Haq will replace the retiring CFO Ian Ellis. Haq brings a wealth of experience to the role and has worked with various sectors such as finance, retail, pharmaceuticals as well as consumer goods. In addition, she will be part of the executive team and a member of the board.

CEO resigns from Local Pensions Partnership

Local government pensions services provider Local Pensions Partnership’s (LPP) CEO Susan Martin has stepped down from her role after three years at the firm. The current chief information officer Chris Rule will replace Martin as the interim CEO. Rule has worked with LPP since its inception in various roles such as managing director and chief investment officer of LPP’s investment subsidiary LLP Investments. In addition, LPP’s interim CFO Adrian Taylor has been confirmed as the permanent CFO of the company.

Commenting upon Martin’s resignation, LPP Chair Michael O’Higgins said: “We’d like to thank Susan for her significant contribution to the establishment and success of LPP and wish her the very best for the future.”

Plan International UK appoints new chief executive

Humanitarian organisation Plan International has named Rose Caldwell its new chief executive, effective 02 September 2019. Caldwell will replace the retiring CEO Tanya Barron. Currently, Caldwell works with Concern Worldwide as the executive director, a role she has held for 10 years. She brings to Plan International over 20 years of expertise in senior level positions.

“I am thrilled to be joining Plan International UK at this time. The recent resurgence of interest in gender equality needs to be harnessed to permanently change the future for today’s children. Poverty and inequality disproportionately affect women and children and there is still much to be done if we are to ensure children’s and girls voices are heard and their rights realised. Plan International UK’s work on children’s rights and equality for girls is inspirational and I look forward to working with staff, the youth advisory panel, trustees, partners, supporters and the wider Plan organisation to create a fairer world,” commented Caldwell.

Hyperoptic bolsters leadership team with two senior hires

Broadband provider Hyperoptic has welcomed two new members to its executive team. Peter White is the new CFO of the company and Naleena Gurunani will take over as the chief people officer. Before joining Hyperoptic, White worked at Workshare as its CFO. Prior to that, he worked as the CFO of Lumata.

CEO of Hyperoptic Dana Tobak said: “As part of our ambition to reach 5m homes passed, we are building an Exec team to deliver and disrupt at scale. I am delighted to welcome Peter and Naleena who have demonstrated expertise in driving exponential growth against inertial incumbents.”

Joules names Asda director as new chief executive

British fashion company Joules has brought on board Nick Jones as the chief executive. Jones joins from Asda, where he worked for the retailer’s clothing brand George since 2011. He brings with him extensive expertise in the retail sector. He will replace the departing Chief Executive Colin Porter.

Joules’ non-executive chairman Ian Filby said: “On behalf of the board and everyone at Joules, I am thrilled to welcome Nick as our next CEO. Nick’s extensive retail, brand and strategy credentials, as well as a clear alignment with the Joules values, made him the outstanding candidate for the role.”

Arqiva finance chief Jane Aikman departs after less than a year

British telecommunications company Arqiva’s CFO Jane Aikman will exit the company, after serving for less than a year in the role. Sean West has taken over the CFO position on an interim basis. The reason for Aikman’s exit has not been given.

“We can confirm that Jane Aikman, chief financial officer has left Arqiva. We thank Jane for her contribution and wish her every success for the future,” commented a spokesman for the company.

Volkswagen Financial Services UK names new chief financial officer

Volkswagen Financial Services UK has welcomed Jean Smith back in the role of chief financial officer. Smith will succeed Albert van den Bergh who works at VWFS AG now. Smith has over 30 years of expertise in captive and non-captive financial services. Previously, she served as the joint managing director of Volkswagen Pon Financial Services BV in the Netherlands.

Smith, commenting upon her return stated: “I have been fortunate to have a number of global assignments throughout my career, including setting up operations for VWFS China in Beijing in 2004. However, there is no place like home and the UK is one of the most important markets in Europe for automotive and motor finance. I am excited to take on the challenge of leading the next chapter of VWFS UK within an industry that’s constantly changing with new regulations, advances in technology and shifts in consumer behaviour.”

Van Elle CFO resigns

Infrastructure company Van Elle Holdings has announced the resignation of Paul Pearson as its CFO and director. The company has started to seek a successor to Pearson.

Chairman of Van Elle Adrian Barden stated: “On behalf of the Board I would like to thank Paul for his many years’ service, which included the successful IPO of Van Elle in 2016.”

EuroSite Power expands executive team

EuroSite Power, an On-Site Utility solutions provider has announced the appointment of Paul Hamblyn to the role of chief operating officer. Hamblyn’s appointment as COO is part of the company’s plan to focus senior management time on the primary strategic objectives of expanding its service offer and geographical reach. He will be responsible for leading the company’s strategic and new business development.

“We are thrilled to have an experienced and steady hand at the helm of the operational business as Paul puts in place our plans to expand our range of technical solutions and broaden our customer offer,” said chief executive officer Elias Samaras.

Surveyhealthcare names Lena Belz its new head of EU operations

Healthcare survey and data collection firm SurveyHealthcare (SHC) has appointed Lena Belz its head of European operations to bolster its EU operations. As part of her new role, Belz will oversee the company’s EU operations, while working with SHC’s chief operating officer, Jason Freeman, to standardise operational efficiencies. She joins SHC after working for six years at GfK, most recently as head of healthcare project management.

Antonio Tropea, managing director, EU Division said: “Lena’s experience in planning and navigating complex global market research project spans over a decade, making her an ideal fit to spearhead our European operations, while we continue to strengthen our offering and provide more value-added services to our clients.”

Clear Channel International announces changes to operating structure

Media group Clear Channel International has created a new European region for its holding company Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings. The company’s CEO and regional vice president, UK & Ireland, Justin Cochrane is promoted to the role of chief executive officer for the European region. He will oversee Europe’s vision, mission and strategy whilst taking charge of the UK & Ireland businesses.

“With the establishment of a European region, we will be better positioned to harness the power of technology and accelerate our digital transformation. Outdoor is consistently outgrowing all other traditional advertising media, driven heavily by digital OOH1, and this new structure gives us a strong platform to innovate and maintain our position as an industry leader. I am very much looking forward to taking on this new role and leading a great international team across our European markets, including the newly promoted senior leaders in the UK,” commented Justin Cochrane upon his appointment.

OLIVER hires new UK group COO

Media firm OLIVER Group has hired Jason Bailis as its UK group chief operating officer. In his new role, Bailis will oversee operational functions as well as implement the company’s strategy internally and externally. He will report to OLIVER UK’s CEO Sharon Whale.

In addition, Richard Stainer is the new CEO of global clients. Bailis previously worked with Ebiquity as the global chief operating officer.

OLIVER’s UK CEO Sharon Whale said: “OLIVER and our clients are going from strength to strength, and growth has been supercharged since joining Y&MJ. Jason’s experience is unparalleled and will ensure OLIVER’s growth continues in a fruitful, productive fashion. Scaling our model at speed, under Jason’s watchful eye, will ensure our ‘better, faster, cheaper’ ethos benefits clients on a global scale and futureproofs our business.”

Sally Munday appointed CEO of UK Sport

UK Sport has appointed Sally Munday as its CEO. Presently, Munday works with GB Hockey as its chief executive England. She will take over her new position in autumn after the departure of the current CEO Liz Nichole, who will exit in July. Meanwhile, a member of the UK Sport team will take over the interim CEO role.

“Sally Munday is a wonderful successor to Liz Nicholl as CEO of UK Sport, as we embark on our ambitious new strategy for high-performance sport in the UK. Sally has led a sport that’s not only excelled on and off the field of play at elite and grassroots level but also delivered an impact both domestically and internationally. Her expertise and strong leadership will be invaluable as well as her passion and vision,” commented UK Sport’s chair Dame Katherine Grainger.

 Cirencester Friendly expands executive team

Financial institution Cirencester Friendly has named Andy Morris as its finance director and Shirley Fell as its operations director. Morris brings with him over 20 years of expertise in financial services. He has served in various CFO and COO positions with companies such as Leek United Building Society, Nationwide Building Society and Royal Bank of Scotland. Fell has over 35 years of operational specialised expertise in the finance sector, having held senior positions at MetLife UK, HBOS and Zurich.

Commenting upon the new appointments, Cirencester Friendly’s chief executive Paul Hudson said: “I am delighted to welcome Andy and Shirley to the executive team at Cirencester Friendly as finance director and operations director respectively. I am very confident that they will enable the Society to continue to meet its ambitious growth plans over the coming years. Andy and Shirley bring a high degree of knowledge and experience to the team and we all very much look forward to working with them.”

IDnow appoints new CEO and CFO to bring cloud identity verification services to new markets

Munich-headquartered identity verification-as-a-sService provider IDnow has appointed Andreas Bodczek as its new CEO and Joseph Lichtenberger as CFO. Both executives will focus on establishing the company in France and UK.

Bodczek stated: “Secure online identification is interesting for a broad market: all digital business models that include a value transaction worth protecting need secure digital identities for customers. Since the company’s inception, IDnow has impressively demonstrated how much this can boost digital transformation in the financial industry. I see great potential for the same development in other sectors such as insurance and mobility. Our goal at IDnow is to carry our established technology into these areas and thus pave the way for disruptive innovation.”

AFL Insurance Brokers promotes Bines as UK CEO

Insurance broker AFL Insurance Brokers has promoted Jonathan Bines to the role of AFL UK’s CEO, effective 1 June 2019. Presently, Bines serves as the company’s chief commercial officer. In his new role, he will be responsible to lead the company’s wholesale and retail operations with the support of AFL’s Corporate Director Mike Almond, CFO Chris Gagg and the entire global leadership team. The current CEO of AFL UK Bob Finch will relocate to the U.S. and serve as AFL North America’s CEO.

“The business is in good health, with an infrastructure now in place ready to accommodate the bigger scale we have strategically planned in the coming years. We see building our presence in North America as a natural evolution for AFL as we look to increase the flow of long term business into London. We enjoy strong relationships throughout the U.S. and Canada and this expansion is the strongest signal of intent and commitment we could make to those markets, and our partners and friends over there. It’s an incredibly exciting prospect, for both myself and AFL, and I am very much looking forward to leading this drive,” commented AFL CEO Bob Finch.

Amanda Nevill to exit as CEO of British Film Institute

British Film Institute’s long-time CEO Amanda Nevill will depart from her position early next year. Nevill has served as the CEO of BFI since 2003 and was the first woman head of the organisation. BFI has begun its hunt for Nevill’s successor.

Josh Berger, BFI chair stated: “I am hugely grateful to her for her tireless championing of film and filmmaking, for both protecting our national collection of film and television – the BFI National Archive – and making it accessible to audiences, for leading the charge on greater inclusion and diversity in our industry and much, much more. Thanks to Amanda, the BFI has never been in better shape, and she leaves an incredible legacy behind her, all delivered with her extraordinary energy, passion and elegance.”

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