Strategy & Operations » Leadership & Management » On the move – Bowtell packs up and joins First Choice

On the move - Bowtell packs up and joins First Choice

First Choice has appointed Paul Bowtell as group finance director, with effect from early September. He takes over from Andrew Martin, who left the role in March. Bowtell has spent the last two years as FD of Centrica subsidiary British Gas. Before his tenure at BG he held senior financial positions at WH Smith and Forte.

Private equity group 3i has named Philip Yea as its new chief executive replacing Brian Larcombe in July.

Yea, former group finance director of Diageo, is currently managing director of Investcorp and non-executive director at Manchester United and HBOS.

Yea had previously been linked with the chief executive’s job at British Land but pulled out of talks with the property company days before he was due to sign the contract. In a terse statement to the London Stock Exchange, British Land said it had “thought that it had settled detailed terms with him (Yea)” and will continue to search for a replacement.

Baroness Hogg, chairman of 3i, said she was “delighted to have attracted such a high calibre candidate to the job.”

3i finance director Michael Queen had been widely tipped for the chief executive’s role, according to reports.

Other moves

Severn Trent FD Alan Perelman is to retire at the end of August, and will be replaced by the company’s current director of finance and regulation Mark Wilson. Perelman previously enjoyed a long career as FD of Whitbread.

Adrian Keane has joined the board of Simon Group as group finance director and company secretary. Keane has held a number of senior financial roles, with IMC Group Holdings, Costain Group and Miller Group.

Liberty International has appointed Rob Rowley as a non-executive director. Rowley has served at Reuters, where he worked as executive director and FD for several years. He is currently executive deputy chairman at Cable & Wireless.

Christopher Houghton, finance director of financial services company Park Group, has been promoted to group managing director. Houghton joined Park Group as an accountant, having previously held financial positions at Unilever, Littlewoods and Boots. Houghton will continue his duties as finance director until a replacement is appointed.

Former Kwik-Fit finance director Graeme Bissett has joined the board of Macfarlane as chairman of its audit committee. Bissett, a former Arthur Andersen partner, was appointed non-executive director of Belhaven last month.

Principality Building Society’s recently appointed finance director, Guy Thomas, has been promoted to the board. The former finance director and treasurer at Birmingham Midshires has more than 15 years of experience in the financial services industry.

Phil Cox has been appointed finance director of building products company Ennstone. Cox is expected to succeed group finance director John Barlow later in the year.

Peter Hickson has become a non-executive director at Marconi, the global telecoms equipment, services company. Hickson has been group finance director of Powergen and MAI, and is a former non-executive director of RAC.

Deep-Sea Leisure has promoted financial controller and company secretary Sue Howarth to finance director. Managing director Stuart Earley has resigned, and given the size and position of the company as a subsidiary of the Aspro Group, the board is not seeking a replacement.

Robin Wooldridge, finance director of BAA subsidiary AirMiles, has left the company alongside managing director Drew Thomson, after their buyout proposal was rejected, according to reports. A BAA spokesperson said: “Drew’s entrepreneurial skills, coupled with Robin’s financial expertise, will stand them both in good stead in the future.”

Mark Robson is the new FD of troubled high street pubs group SFI. Previous FD Tim Andrews discovered a £20m discrepancy in the group’s accounts in November 2002 and has just recently stepped down. Andrews will continue to work with the company for a period of time.

Alison Everatt has replaced Colin Copland as group finance director of Canterbury Foods. The company has also altered the structure of its board, with the retirement of Ron Waterhouse as non-executive and Paul Ainsworth replacing Robert Mollison as group chief executive. Ken Manley changes his role from executive chairman to non-executive director.

Chepstow Racecourse finance director Mark Stokes has resigned after working with the company for three years. Chepstow chairman Sir Stanley Clarke said: “I thank Mark for his contribution to the company during his three years and wish him well in his future career.”

Matrix Communications Group has appointed Chris Lee as finance director. Lee has held senior financial positions with BAA, Intrinsic Networks and Decorum Networks. He has more than five years of experience in the IT sector, as the finance director for software companies in both the US and UK.

Sanjay Jawa has been appointed by Financial Dynamics International, the business communications consultancy, as chief financial officer and chief operating officer. Jawa served as finance director at Hawkpoint Partners and Barclays Global Investors before joining FDI.

Dr John Brown has been selected as non-executive director of Vectura, a pharmaceuticals company. Brown recently served as chief executive of the FTSE-250 biotech company Acambis, having joined as FD in 1995 prior to its flotation that year.

Home Entertainment Corporation finance director John Sealey has stepped down to become a non-executive director and company secretary, with Christopher White succeeding as finance director.

Blooms of Bressingham, the retail garden centre, has hired Wendy King as finance director. King has no prior directorship appointments.

Margaret Brownlie, finance director of Stockline Plastics, was one of nine workers tragically killed at the Maryhill factory explosion in Glasgow in May.

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