More News » Career moves including John Laing, EY and Axa UK

Career moves including John Laing, EY and Axa UK

A round-up of finance chiefs and other senior leaders changing roles in the UK and elsewhere.

John Laing hires Germinario as CFO

Infrastructure firm John Laing Group has appointed Luciana Germinario as its CFO-designate. She will join the firm on 25 April 2019, replacing Patrick O’D Bourke, who is leaving his role to pursue a non-executive career. O’D Bourke, who has been at his role since 2011, will step down at the company’s annual general meeting on May 9.  Germinario was recently the CFO at Eight Roads. Prior to this, she held various senior finance roles at General Electric.

“Patrick has been a crucial member of the team and has been instrumental in our successful IPO in 2015 and our move to a more internationally focused business. I have thoroughly enjoyed working with him and we will be sorry to see him retire. The board and I are very pleased to welcome Luciana to the team. Her previous international financial and investment experience will be an excellent addition to John Laing’s executive team. I am looking forward to working with her as we continue to grow the business,” said CEO Olivier Brousse.

EY names Carmine Di Sibio as global chairman and CEO

Professional services firm EY has announced the promotion of Carmine Di Sibio to the role of global chairman and chief executive officer, effective July this year. He is set to replace Mark Weinberger, who announced his retirement last month after leading the firm for six years. Di Sibio has been part of the firm since 1985, heading the global client service practice.

Speaking on his promotion, Di Sibio commented: “I am honoured to be chosen to lead this great organisation, which I have been part of for over 33 years. The role we play in the capital markets and the work of each and every one of the 270,000 EY people do every day to create a better working world are things of which I’m very proud.”

Axa UK hires Shali Vasudeva as COO from Hiscox

The UK arm of French insurance giant Axa has appointed Shali Vasudeva to the newly created role of chief operating officer, effective of 1 March, 2019. She will focus on transforming and simplifying the provider’s operations and will report directly to Axa UK CEO Claudio Gienal. Vasudeva joins Axa from Hiscox where she served as group business change director. She also worked with Prudential for seven years.

Gienal commented: “Axa is focused on delivering the best possible service to its customers, underpinned by operational excellence. Shali’s track record speaks for itself and I, along with the rest of the management committee, look forward to working with her and taking up future challenges for the benefit of our customers and members.”

Kier’s chief executive resigns

Haydn Mursell has resigned from the roe of CEO of construction company Kier Group has announced his exit from the company with immediate effect. He will also step down from the board. He has been part of the group for eight years, working as finance director first and then switching to CEO. The replacement for the role of CEO is underway. Until then, chairman Philip Cox will be the acting executive chairman and help the successor with a smooth transition. He will work alongside finance director Bev Dew and chief operating officer Claudio Veritiero.

Cox said: “The Board believes that, following the completion of the recent rights issue, now is the right time for a new leader to take Kier forward to the next stage of its development. The Board would like to thank Haydn for his contribution during eight years on the Board, firstly as finance director and then as chief executive. On behalf of the Board, I would like to wish him every success in the future.”

Jupiter chief executive steps down

Jupiter Fund  Management has announced that chief executive officer Maarten Slendebroek will step down from his role with effect from 1 May 2019. He will be replaced by Andrew Formica, a former co-chief executive of Janus Henderson. Slendebroek, who has been in the chief executive role since 2014, will go on gardening leave until his notice period ends.

The company released a statement saying: “Ensuring that appropriate succession planning is in place for the leadership team is one of the most important roles of any board. The board of Jupiter had envisaged that any transition in chief executive would most likely occur over the next couple of years. In developing its succession plans, the Board identified Andrew as a potential successor and, in light of his availability at this point in time, has decided, with the support of Maarten, to accelerate these plans.”

Ghosn resigns from top job at Renault

Carlos Ghosn, chief executive officer and chairman of French automobile manufacturer Renault has announced his resignation with effect from 23 January 2019. The role of chairman will be filled by Jean-Dominique Senard, who was the chief executive at tyre manufacturer Michelin. Ghosn has been replaced for the CEO position by Thierry Bollore, who is currently the interim CEO at the firm. In the new role, Senard will handle the company’s relationship with alliance partners Nissan Motors and Mitsubishi Motors. Ghosn, who joined Renault in 1996, previously worked at Michelin for more than 18 years.

Takeaway firm Just Eat loses CEO

Online food ordering firm Just Eat has announced the resignation of Peter Plumb as the chief executive officer, effective immediately. After 16 months in the role, Plumb will be replaced by chief customer officer Peter Duffy on an interim basis. Meanwhile, the company is currently searching for a replacement for the chief executive role.

Commenting upon the resignation, Chairman Mike Evans said: “The Board would like to thank Peter Plumb for setting Just Eat on a new course which better places it to address a much larger and rapidly expanding market. We wish him well for the future.”

GPP appoints COO

GPP, a financial services provider,  has appointed Todd Johnson as chief operating officer. Johnson brings with him over 25 years of experience in the financial services and engineering sectors in senior buy and sell-side roles. He will report to GPP’s CEO Julian Parker. Johnson served as head of international prime brokerage at Deutsche Bank and head of European prime brokerage at Citi. Prior to that, he co-founded multi-manager hedge fund firm, Ivaldi Capital. He held the role of COO at betting exchange Smarkets most recently.

Commenting upon the new appointment, Parker said: “Todd’s addition to the management team is an exciting and positive start to what will be an important year for the firm. He brings a wealth of top-level experience from a range of sectors, and I believe he will prove both a valuable asset and driving force for the company as we enter the next phase of growth. We look forward to welcoming Todd to GPP.”

Luc Querton appointed CEO of Altares Group

France-based company data experts Altares Group named Luc Querton as its CEO as of 4 January 2019. His appointment follows as the group is turning into a major player in the technological solutions for enriching data. The company is supported by its shareholder Naxicap. Luc Querton has a background in new technologies, specifically in the financial services sector over the past 15 years. Prior to joining Altares, he served as CEO of Fircosoft. Additionally, he worked with companies such as IBM, Business Objects/SAP, Unisys and NetEconomy/Fiserv.

Alquity names new CEO

Alquity, an asset management business, confirmed Brad Crombie as chief executive officer and Board member. Prior to this, he was the global head of fixed income at Aberdeen Asset Management. He brings with him over 18 years of experience in the industry. He held various senior positions such as managing director, head of corporate credit, among others.

Founder and chairman of Alquity, Paul Robinson says: “Brad is a proven leader, with a strong investment background reinforced by his extensive commercial and emerging markets experience, client focus and exceptional people skills. We are delighted to have such an accomplished individual joining us to lead Alquity’s next stage of growth. Brad’s appointment will be invaluable as Alquity builds on its vision and strong foundations as a pioneer in responsible investments.”

Volution CFO Ian Dew to retire in 2019

Ventilation products supplier Volution Group has announced the retirement of CFO Ian Dew. Joining the firm in 2012, Dew was promoted to the role of CFO in 2014. Dew will stay with the group until an appropriate successor is found. He will also help the successor with his responsibilities, ensuring a smooth handover of the role.

Multilotto reveals new CEO

Malta-based lottery betting operator Multilotto has elevated the role of Christian Hellbjer to the role of chief executive officer replacing Thomas Biro. Biro has left the company after 7 years in service as the CEO. Hellbjer, on the other hand, has been with company since 2016, when he joined as the financial controller. The company also announced the appointment of former Svenska Spel chief sales officer Mark Knighton as head of operations.

Following his promotion, Hellbjer said: “It’s an honour for me to take over the role of CEO and I am very excited to have the opportunity to guide the Multilotto team to the highest levels and continue building on our strong foundations.”

Grünenthal appoints CFO

German pharmaceutical company Grünenthal has promoted Fabian Raschke as the chief financial officer as well as the member of the corporate executive board with effect from 1 February 2019. Raschke joined the company in September 2016, most recently leading the company’s group controlling operations and managing more than 150 employees. Prior to this, he has held various senior roles within the Xella Group.

“I’m delighted to welcome Fabian to the Corporate Executive Board. Throughout his career, he has proven his ability to lead finance organisations towards success and has played a major role in our key milestones such as securing the financing for our recent acquisition of Nexium and Vimovo,” said Grünenthal CEO Gabriel Baertschi, following the promotion.

Pladis names new chief executive

Confectionery group Pladis has hired former PepsiCo CMO Salman Amin as the global chief executive officer effective from February this year. In his new role, Amin will be responsible of the global business spanning from America to the Far East. Amin is also a non-executive director on the board of directors of ITV and on the global board for the Kellogg School of Management. He will replace Cem Karakas, who stepped down from his role in September last year. Prior to this, Amin was leading SC Johnson & Son’s Global Commercial Division.

Following his appointment, Amin said: “I’ve built a career seeking out opportunities to rewrite the rules, diversify and be part of consumer evolution. At Pladis we have the opportunity to make our local favourites global stars, and share the heritage of our biscuits and confectionery with the world. I’m looking forward to joining my new colleagues as we embark on this journey together.”

Dondup elevates Matteo Anchisi to CEO

Italian fashion house Dondup has announced the promotion of Matteo Anchisi to the role of chief executive officer. In his new role, Anchisi will be responsible for planning brand strategies on the international and digital level as well as promoting R&D and sustainable products and processes. He joined the company in 2016 as the sales director and global marketing manager and was later elevated to the role of chief operating officer. He has a vast experience in the areas of research, product, strategic marketing and sales management.

Share
Was this article helpful?

Comments are closed.

Subscribe to get your daily business insights