People Business » Career moves: TUI, President Energy and others

Career moves: TUI, President Energy and others

A round up of CFOs and other senior execs changing roles in the UK and elsewhere

TUI names Birgit Conix as new CFO

The TUI Group is joining Birgit Conix as its new chief financial officer from Belgian media firm Telenet where she has held the same role since 2013. Conix will be joining the FTSE 100 travel giant in July, having signed a contract for 3 years. Conix will be replacing Horst Baier, who will leave the company this autumn. She has also held an executive position at Heineken.

President Energy moves Non-Exec Director Rob Shepherd to finance chief

Argentina-focused oil and gas explorer President Energy has promoted non-executive director Rob Shepherd to finance director. Chairman & chief executive of AIM-listed President Energy, Peter Levine commented on Shepherd’s appointment and said, “I am pleased that Rob has agreed to step-up to an executive role on the board where he will make a necessary and more active contribution to ensuring we deliver on our future plans.”

Feedback appoints new CFO to refine growth strategy

Feedback, a London-listed medical technology group, has confirmed Lindsay Melvin as its new chief financial officer. Prior to joining Feedback, Melvin served as CEO of the Chartered Institute of Payroll Professionals. He also held director-level roles in public and private SMEs, including security fittings manufacturer Arthur Shaw & Co, where he was finance director for six years. David Crabb, Feedback’s chief executive commented on Melvin’s appointment and said, “Lindsay’s expertise will be instrumental in refining our growth strategy over the coming months.”

Dotmatics appoints Gordon McCall as CFO

Science informatics provider Dotmatics has named Gordon McCall as its new chief financial officer. Prior to joining Dotmatics, McCall served at Craig Corporate as an interim CFO. He also worked as a decision support manager at Royal Bank of Scotland. McCall graduated from the University of Glasgow and holds a degree in accountancy.

Alastair Hill, Dotmatics’ director and chief technical officer, commented on McCall’s appointment and said “Gordon has already proven that he is a valuable member of the Dotmatics executive team, and we welcome him to this appointment. Gordon’s broad background in accounting and business consulting will benefit Dotmatics as we expand our product portfolio and grow the company across geographies.” McCall added “I’m excited about the company’s future and contributing to the growth of the business.”

Ex-GSK CEO Witty named head of pharmacy benefit firm Optum

Sir Andrew Witty, the former CEO of pharma giant GSK, has been appointed as the new chief executive officer of UnitedHealth’s pharmacy benefit manager, Optum. He will be succeeding Larry Renfro, who will take over UnitedHealth’s venture capital arm, Optum Ventures, as managing director. UnitedHealth CEO David Wichmann commented on Witty’s appointment in a statement and said, “Witty has deep experience with how data and analytics and new technologies can be used to improve patient outcomes, better serve consumers, lower costs and drive value across the system – which is at the heart of Optum’s work to shape health care for the better.

“We are deeply fortunate … to have the right person to extend Optum’s momentum and lead the business in its next phase of growth”. Witty commented on his appointment at Optum and said, “Optum has the unique opportunity to continue improving the healthcare experience, outcomes and value people receive in the US and globally. In many ways, even with all its accomplishments, Optum feels as though it is just getting started.”

Sussex Healthcare Welcomes new CEO

Sussex Healthcare has announced the appointment of Amanda Morgan-Taylor as its new chief executive officer. She brings a plethora of experience with her, having worked in the healthcare industry for 30 years. Morgan-Taylor spent multiple years in the public and private sector, improving and reshaping several healthcare systems for elderly and mentally handicapped individuals. 

The announcement stated that adding her to the team displayed a commitment to providing high quality care for their patients. Speaking about her appointment, Morgan-Taylor said that she was excited to work with the company and added that she plans to collaborate with the management team, nurses and caregivers to find new ways to improve life for all Sussex Healthcare residents in the future.

Toni Smith hired as COO of LSL

Mortage provider LSL Financial Services has recruited Toni Smith as its new chief operating officer. According to LSL, the appointment is “a natural extension of Toni’s previous role” where she served as business operations director at Primis. Smith’s new responsibilities in the role include being responsible for adviser and AR firm authorizations.

She will also continue to manage the Primis proposition. Smith commented on her appointment and said, “It is a very exciting time for us at Primis and I am delighted to start my new role as chief operating officer. We have big plans for 2018, and I will of course be bringing all of my past experience to this position to further strengthen the Primis brand and drive our significant growth plans.”

COO Meyer bids Brit farewell to join Canopius

Insurance group Brit Limited’s Chief Operating Officer Nigel Meyer has resigned from the company and will be joining rival Canopius as its new CFO. Meyer joined the company in 2011 and became COO in 2013, serving in that position for 5 years. Speaking about Meyer’s resignation, Brit chief executive Matthew Wilson, said “We wish to publically thank Nigel and wish him the best in his new role.”

Mporium Group appoints COO

Mobile retailing software firm Mporium Group has announced the appointment of Glyn Shadwell as its new chief operating officer. Prior to joining listed Mporium, Shadwell served as head of strategy and client partnerships at Quantcast. Mporium chief executive Nelius De Groot spoke about the appointment and said “Glyn is a well-known and respected figure within the industry and brings a wealth of industry knowledge and relationships to Mporium.

“We are delighted to have appointed him COO of Mporium where his deep knowledge of clients, product strategy, operational excellence and cultural best practice will accelerate our business growth.”

Echo Energy hires new COO and updates on Bolivia progress

Latin America-focused gas explorer Echo Energy has appointed Geoff Probert as its new chief operating officer.

Newgate Communications CEO Gavin Devine exits

Newgate Communications, an integrated communications agency, has announced the resignation of its CEO Gavin Devine. According to reports, Devine left the company to start a new consultancy to work on solo client projects. Devine will now serve at his own consultancy, called Park Street Partners, under the title of senior comms adviser and will work with clients in regulated sectors. He commented on the move and said “It was the right time to move and the right thing to do, and I wish them all well. I’m working with a number of clients across various sectors on a project basis and enjoying it.”

Sight Sciences names Jesse Selnick CFO

Sight Sciences, which specialises in medical technology for eye-related conditions, has hired Jesse Selnick as its new chief financial officer. Selnick brings more than 20 years of experience with him, having led strategic growth, financing, capital allocation and operational initiatives for companies. Prior to joining California-based Sight Sciences, Selnick served as CFO and was a part of the board of directors at technology solutions provider Electric Lightwave.

Speaking about his appointment, Paul Badawi, president and CEO of Sight Sciences, said “We are thrilled Jesse is joining Sight Sciences, as this is the perfect time in our corporate evolution to add someone with his strategic, financial and operational background. Jesse has a long and proven track record of operating and advising rapidly growing technology businesses to achieve scale and maximize value.

“Importantly, Jesse has been involved in our company’s early development as a founding investor and is very familiar with our business. Our tightly knit team and culture of community and trust is paramount to our success, and Jesse has seamlessly transitioned into his senior leadership role and is already making a substantial impact on our business, management team and board of directors.”

BackOffice Associates signals more strategic growth with appointment of Stephen Webber as COO

US software and services group BackOffice Associates has confirmed Stephen Webber as its new chief operating officer. Webber joined BackOffice Associates in September as CFO and will remain in that role, as well. His new responsibilities will have him focusing on executing the company’s strategic vision by driving growth and global expansion while improving the efficiency of its everyday operation.

David Booth, CEO of BackOffice Associates commented on Webber’s new role and said “It is with great pleasure that we welcome Steve into the COO role – we look forward to having his trusted leadership and proven expertise in helping us reach the next level of expansion as a world-class company serving marquee global customers.”

Sandals appoints new chief executive

Jamaican resort operator Sandals Resorts has announced the appointment of Gebhard F. Rainer, effective immediately. Rainer will be reporting to Sandals chairman, Gordon Stewart and deputy chairman and former CEO, Adam Stewart. Prior to joining Sandals, Rainer worked at Hyatt Hotels where he served as an executive vice president and chief financial operator.

Adam Stewart commented on Rainer’s appointment and said “Rainer’s experience complements our strengths, affording me the time to expand my role alongside the chairman as the Sandals brand moves to fast-track our development plans. These are exciting times and we look forward to an even brighter future.”

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