RNS Number : 5611M
SimplyBiz Group PLC (The)
09 January 2019
 

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

 




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.

 


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