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Career changes including RB, JLP and Greene King

Finance leaders and other senior executives changing jobs in the UK and elsewhere.

Reckitt Benckiser CEO to leave at year end

Rakesh Kapoor, CEO of Reckitt Benckiser, has decided to leave the consumer goods company by the end of this year. He took over the CEO role eight years ago by replacing Bart Becht. The company has not declared an interim role but has started a search for an appropriate successor.

JLP announces management changes

Department store chain John Lewis Partnership has made senior leadership changes by announcing the retirement of operations director Dino Rocos and replacing him with finance director Bérangère Michel. Rocos has worked with the company for almost four decades and will step down from his role in May.

Michel will begin her role by end of this month, while the company is searching for a replacement for the finance director role. Furthermore, John Lewis’s subsidiary Waitrose has promoted transformation director Ross Avery to be its finance director. Avery, who has been part of John Lewis since 2001, will take over the role from 28 January.

Speaking on the changes, John Lewis MD Paula Nickolds commented: “I can’t overemphasise the scale of the contribution Dino has made to John Lewis – he has transformed every element of our supply chain to create the distribution network we enjoy today.”

Greene King unveils new chief executive

UK’s largest pub retailer and brewer Greene King has confirmed Nick Mackenzie as the chief executive officer effective from May this year. He will replace outgoing CEO Rooney Anand. Mackenzie is currently a member of the executive committee at Merlin Entertainments, which he has been a part of since 2007, before which he was with The Tussauds Group, that was acquired by Merlin in 2007. Before this, he has worked with companies including Bass, Allied Domecq, and Burger King UK.

Welcoming Mackenzie, Greene King Chairman Philip Yea said: “After a comprehensive search we feel that Nick’s broad experience and track record at one of the world’s leading leisure businesses as well as his knowledge of the pub business, both early in his career and more recently as a non-executive, make him the best candidate to lead Greene King through its next phase.”

Permanent KCOM CFO appointed

Hull-based communications and IT services provider KCOM has confirmed Anna Bielby as the permanent chief financial officer. She was KCOM’s interim CFO since 1 July 2018, after Jane Aikman stepped down from her role. Before joining KCOM, Bielby has worked at various companies including accountancy firm PwC as a director.

KCOM CEO Graham Sutherland commented on the appointment: “Anna brings considerable energy, skills and experience to the role and I am looking forward to working with her as we shape a positive future for KCOM.”

Accenture CEO steps down

Dublin-headquartered global management consulting firm Accenture has announced that its CEO Pierre Nanterme would step down from his role. With over 35 years of experience, Nanterme took the executive role in January 2011. The company has selected CFO David Rowland as the interim CEO until a successor is appointed. Rowland’s role of chief financial officer will be taken over by KC McClure, who leads Accenture’s finance operations.

Speaking on his resignation, Nanterme commented:  “It has been my honour and privilege to serve Accenture’s people and our clients for my entire 36-year career, and I’ve never been more confident in our business strategy, leadership team and people. I know that David’s significant involvement in developing and delivering our growth strategy to rotate our business to new, high-growth areas of digital, cloud and security – and his tenure as a highly respected senior leader and developer of talent – will make this transition seamless.”

Faroe Petroleum executives to resign after hostile takeover by DNO

UK-based independent oil and gas company Faroe Petroleum has announced that its chief executive officer Graham Stewart, chief financial officer Jonathan Cooper, and chief operating Officer Helge Hammer will step down from the company. The move follows the recent takeover of the company by DNO, who bought more than half of Faroe’s shares. All the three executive including Stewart, who was one of the founders of the company, will leave the firm within three months from 11 January 2019.

Hastings snaps up MS Amlin CFO

UK’s personal lines insurance broker Hastings Group has poached London-based insurance company MS Amlin’s CEO John Worth. Worth will replace exiting CFO Richard Hoskins, who recently announced his plans to retire. Hoskins will stay with the firm for few months to ensure a smooth handover of his role. Worth, on the other hand, has previously worked with companies including The Co-operative Bank, Hiscox, Aspen Insurance Holdings, Barclays, PwC, and Prudential.

Commenting on the changes, Hasting Group CEO Toby van der Meer said: “I am delighted to welcome John to Hastings and look forward to working with him as we continue our profitable growth trajectory. I would also like to thank Richard and wish him well for the future.”

Afarak names Melvin Grima as its new chief financial officer

Finland-based speciality alloy producer Afarak Group has announced the promotion of Melvin Grima as the chief financial officer effective immediately. Grima, who was previously the finance director, has replaced Pedrag Kovacevic, who left the company last week. Grima has been associated with the firm since 2013, holding various senior finance roles.

Speaking on the promotion, Afarak CEO Guy Konsbruck commented: “Melvin Grima has been with the Company for a number of years and his experience will make him an excellent successor to Mr Kovacevic. Through this appointment, Afarak is further strengthening its corporate and finance function in Malta.”

Spectris names Derek Harding CFO

Precision instrumentation and controls supplier Spectris has appointed Derek Harding as the chief financial officer with effect from 1 April 2019. He is set to replace finance director Clive Watson, who will retire from the board by the end of March after 12 years with the group. By 1 March 2019, Harding will be a chief financial officer designate and join the board, working with Watson to ensure orderly transition. Harding has previously worked in senior finance roles like group finance director at Shop Direct and Senior.

Commenting upon his appointment, Harding said: “With its high-quality technologies and strong market positions, Spectris clearly has great potential. I’m excited to join at this time of strategic evolution. I look forward to helping deliver the strategy and driving sustainable profitable growth.”

Berry Bros & Rudd CEO Dan Jago departs

London headquartered wine and spirits merchant Berry Bros & Rudd has announced the resignation of Dan Jago as the chief executive officer. His position will be taken over by chairman Lizzy Rudd on an interim basis until an appropriate successor is appointed. Jago joined the merchant three years ago as the CEO from Tesco, where he was the beer, wine and spirits director. In 2016, he became the chairman of the Wine & Spirit Trade Association succeeding Denis O’Flynn.

Regarding his resignation, Jago commented: “Leading Berry Bros & Rudd for the past three-and-a-half years has been a tremendous honour. We have achieved an enormous amount in that time and I’m grateful to everyone in the business for their hard work and commitment. I wish Berry Bros & Rudd all the very best in the years ahead.”

Musclefood founder steps down as new CEO takes over

Online food retailer Musclefood.com has named a new CEO by appointing Gareth Jones. Musclefood Founder Darren Beale will help with the transition and move into a part-time, non-executive advisory role. Jones, on the other hand, has arrived from Missguided.com, where he was the CEO, leading the financial and strategic operations. Before this, he worked with Shop Direct as the deputy CEO.

Commenting on his recruitment, Beale said: “We are very fortunate to have found someone of Gareth Jones’s calibre. Gareth brings experience in developing a scalable technology platform at very.co.uk, something our business will benefit from greatly as we continue to deliver our vision to make healthy living accessible to everyone. As we start to scale our team, infrastructure, production and technology, Gareth’s experience and expertise in this area will be invaluable.”

Wilko operating and digital chiefs resign

Chief Operating Officer Sean Toal of British high-street chain Wilko has announced his resignation from the company, following a board reshuffle. Toal’s role will be taken over by both CFO Alex Russo and CCO Andrew Moore. Russo will handle the operations related to property, distribution, and transport, whereas Moore will deal with the commercial activities. The company also announced the resignation of Sean Emmett as the digital director.

A spokeswoman from the company said: “Sean Toal and Sean Emmett are stepping down to pursue their careers outside the Wilko family of businesses. We’d like to thank them for their contribution and support throughout their time with Wilko and wish them all the very best for the future.”

UKFast appoints CFO

Hosting and colocation provider UKFast has elevated the role of Catherine Greening to chief financial officer. She joined the firm five years ago and has since been the M& A director of the company, playing a vital role in the recent deal. Greening has been valuable for her work with the acquisition of penetration testing specialist Pentest as well as public sector and cybersecurity business Secure Insurance Assurance.

“As M&A director, I was more focussed on one-off projects designed to add value, such as the acquisition of S-IA. The move to CFO sees me far more involved in the day-to-day operations of UKFast, working more closely with the other directors to drive business performance. I’m also excited to see how ClearCloud and Public Sector develop throughout 2019, with both having incredibly strong pipelines,” said Greening on her promotion.

CEO McLoughlin steps down from SKS365 Group

Italy-headquartered sports betting and gaming company SK365 Group has announced the resignation of Ian McLoughlin as the chief executive officer. McLoughlin quit the company to pursue other opportunities outside the company. There is no news about his replacement by the company yet. The company also announced that General Counsel Angela Gemma and Group Financial Controller Aaron Meli have stepped down from their roles. though Meli will move on to an advisory role with SK365.

Duncan Mackison appointed as new CEO of David MacBrayne Group

Scottish company David MacBrayne Group has named a new group chief executive officer with Duncan Mackison effective from March this year. He has also been appointed to the group’s board of directors. Mackison has served the Royal Marines as an officer and his most recent experience was at Serco Defence as the managing director.

Chairman David McGibbon commented: “The Board is delighted to announce this appointment. Duncan brings considerable marine experience to this role. Duncan also has considerable experience and a strong track record in delivering service contracts to both central and local Government.”

Joanne Page appointed CFO of Saxo Capital Markets UK

Online trading and investment management services Saxo Capital Markets UK has confirmed that chief financial officer Diya Patel stepped down from her role to pursue new opportunities. Patel joined the firm in October 2016 and her experiences include working in senior finance role with Alpari UK and GFX. The CFO role has been, thereafter taken over by Joanne Page.

With two decades of experience, Page has recently worked at Capital Index as the COO since 2014. Before this, Page worked for ETX Capital’s Gibraltarian division as the chief executive officer. She has also worked at Royal & Sun Alliance Insurance, GAIN Capital’s City Index, and Marex Financial.

CEO of Allen & Overy’s flexible lawyer business leaves firm

Law firm Allen & Overy has announced that CEO Richard Punt, who headed the flexible legal services business, has left the company. Punt has been replaced by Ben Williams and Carolyn Aldous, who will co-lead the business. While Williams is managing director and founder of Peerpoint, Aldous is the Asia-Pacific head. Before joining the law firm in 2014, Punt worked at Deloitte as the managing partner for clients and markets.

Speaking on Punt’s exit, A& O Senior Partner Wim Dejonghe said:  “Richard has been instrumental in the success of Peerpoint, which is the market-leading consultant lawyer business and is at the heart of A&O’s advanced delivery capability. We will miss his energy and intellect and wish him every success in the future.”

Mark Inskip made Kantar Media UK CEO

Media insights and audience measurement service provider Kantar Media has moved Mark Inskip from Kantar Consulting chief strategy and transformation officer to CEO of Kantar Media’s UK and Ireland business. He would be included in the Kantar Media executive committee reporting to CEO and Chairman, Andy Brown. Inskip has replaced Richard Poustie who got promoted to managing director of Kantar Media UK’s audience intelligence business. Before Kantar, Inskip has worked at Ogilvy and Accenture Interactive and also at Centrica and Akzo Nobel as its clients.

“I am delighted to welcome Mark to Kantar Media. His extensive experience across a range of businesses brings an important new perspective to our UK and Ireland region while his tenure within our sister company Kantar Consulting ensures we’re continuing to demonstrate the value of Kantar to our client base,” said Brown.

Muller confirms appointment of Hansjörg Herrmann as COO

Germany-based dairy products producer Muller has confirmed the appointment of Hansjörg Herrmann as the chief operating officer with effect from 1 December last year. Herrmann will be responsible for handling global operations of the company. The company did not reveal his who he succeeded as the role was vacant for some time.

Bield chief executive Brian Logan resigns after nine years

Chief Executive Officer Brian Logan of Scottish housing and support service provider Bield has decided to step down from his role. Logan has been the CEO for nine years and has been part of the company for over 14 years. He will take up the role of CEO of Capability Scotland, an organisation providing care, support and education for disabled children and adults. The appointment of a successor is not yet announced.

Commenting on his exit, Logan said: “Leaving Bield has not been an easy decision for me to make but this is a rare and excellent opportunity for me to make a contribution to another sector and one which I am genuinely enthusiastic about.”

Rosenblatt appoints Robert Parker as CFO

UK-based legal services company Rosenblatt Group has confirmed Robert Parker as the new chief financial officer. The company stated that Parker was the interim CFO since August last year. Before this, he has held various senior leadership roles, in both interim and permanent capacities, at Ubisense, Immedia Broadcasting, Tantalum Corp and CLA.

Eddie Kemsley named Dreamland CEO

Kent headquartered amusement park Dreamland Margate has appointed Eddie Kemsley as chief executive officer with immediate effect. Eddie was the CEO of Dreamland from January 2014 until January 2017, following which she worked as CEO of London attraction Kidzania, located at Westfield London.

Eddie brings with her wealth of experience in all sectors of hospitality and leisure industry including attractions, bars, restaurants, late night, cultural destinations and accommodations. In addition, she has launched and run attractions across the UK such as Howletts & Port Lympne Wild Animal Parks and The Aspinall Foundation.

PE-backed Clearly Drinks appoints new chief executive

Soft drinks manufacturer Clearly Drinks has appointed Mick Howard as its new CEO. Howard moved into the role after serving as Clearly Drinks’ chief operating officer for nine months, where he witnessed the headcount growth from 76 to 110 in 2018. He has 25 years of experience in the food and drink industry in senior positions at major companies including Britvic, SAB Miller and Puratos.

Howard will be responsible to build on the company’s top quality product offering with the launch of UPSTREAM, the naturally flavoured premium sparking water. He will focus on strengthening the partnerships for the company, as well as the management team, followed by a number of appointments in the coming months.

JCDecaux names new UK CEOs

France headquartered multinational company JCDecaux’s UK chief executives Philip Thomas and Spencer Berwin will step down from their position. They will relinquish their roles at the end of March and take over new roles as non-executive directors. They will report directly to company head Jean François Decaux in their new roles. Dallas Wiles was the chief commercial officer, while Chris Collings was managing director of the rail and retail divisions. The duo has now been promoted as like-for-like replacements.

Commenting upon the transition, Decaux said: “I have worked with Spencer and Philip for many years and they have been instrumental in developing and delivering our market-leading digital transformation. They have secured a fantastic platform for the future including the contract wins of Network Rail, Heathrow Airport, TfL bus shelters and more recently Westfield shopping malls.

“True to our tradition of promoting internal candidates, I am delighted to appoint Chris and Dallas to the roles of co-CEOs, promoting senior talent from within our company as we look to a new digital trading future and the build-out of our contract wins. These appointments underline the importance of both sides of our business – concession contracts and advertising sales.”

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