People on the move

• For a company whose products may inadvertently cause people to become pests, to one that seeks to control pests – albeit of a different kind – Jeremy Townsend leaves the FD role at Mitchells & Butlers after two years to take up the CFO position at Rentokil. Rentokil’s incumbent CFO Michael Murray will leave on 31 March, just a year after he joined. When he took up the position, Rentokil had suffered a total of four profit warnings the previous year. Townsend is set to stay with Mitchells & Butlers for another six months while his successor is found.

• Perhaps Murray should look at Lombard Risk, a risk management consultancy currently on the prowl for an FD following the promotion of Keith Butcher to CEO. Butcher will remain interim FD until a replacement is found. The promotion was prompted by the decision to split the dual roles of chairman and CEO John Wisbey. Wisbey said that the decision will allow him more time to ensure that the business is “capitalising on the market opportunities created by the rapid changes in the risk management and regulatory arenas and to focus on external relationships”. Along with a new FD, Lombard Risk will also expand its board with the appointment of at least one additional non- executive director – an announcement will be made in due course.