Recruitment giant’s finance chief quits for Clinigen

A DIVISIONAL finance chief at Hays has quit the recruitment giant to join global pharmaceutical business Clinegen Group as chief financial officer.

Martin Abell, currently CFO of the continental Europe & rest of world division at Hays, will join Clinegen in the summer when he will replace Robin Sibson, who previously indicated to the board his wish to retire sometime during 2015 or early 2016.

Abell will join Clinigen as a director, and CFO elect, during the period of handover.

Sibson is expected to step down from his executive duties later in the year and become a non-executive director of the group.

Abell has been with Hays, Europe’s largest professional recruitment group, since 2006. He joined as head of investor relations and M&A and has been finance director of the continental Europe and rest of world division since 2010. This division has revenues of over £1bn and has operations in 21 countries.

Prior to joining Hays, he held several roles at the logistics group Exel plc (now part of Deutsche Post) including financial controller of two of the UK divisions. He is a qualified chartered accountant, having trained at PwC in the M&A transaction services team. 

Peter George, CEO, Clinigen Group said: “Martin has considerable international experience which is highly relevant to our business as it expands globally and his experience in M&A will be invaluable as we pursue our strategy of growth.”