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FD moves of the month

Peter Voser has been appointed group managing director and director of finance of the Royal Dutch/Shell Group. Voser, currently chief financial officer at Swiss technology group ABB, will join Shell on 4 October 2004.

Voser replaces Shell’s former chief financial officer Judy Boynton, who stepped down in April after being criticised in a report on Shell’s overstatement of oil reserves. Shell has downgraded its oil reserves by more than four billion barrels, restating them on four occasions this year.

From 1982 to March 2002, Voser held a variety of finance and business roles with ABB in Switzerland, the UK, Argentina and Chile. Voser was also a member of ABB Global Oil Products Executive Committee.

“Peter has made vital contributions as a key member of the team that in the past two years has secured the turnaround of ABB,” said chairman and CEO Jurgen Dormann.

Other moves

Philip Hampton, former finance director of BT and Lloyds TSB, has been appointed chairman of J Sainsbury, replacing Sir Peter Davis, who stepped down in July. Davis had come under criticism for accepting a £2m bonus during 2003, when the company had underperformed. Hampton left Lloyds TSB in February after less than two years as FD while the company looked to move away from deal activity.

Standard Life has announced that John Hylands will step down as group finance director to lead the project to demutualise the company. Standard Life has recruited headhunter Heidrick & Struggles to search for a replacement.

Neil Stothard, group finance director of equipment rental company Vp, has been promoted to group managing director. Stothard’s former role has been taken by Rolls-Royce procurement division FD Mike Holt.

Durex condom maker SSL International has appointed Mark Moran as group FD, following the promotion of former FD Garry Watts to chief executive in April 2004. Watts was previously group FD at Porvair, prior to which he held senior roles with Caradon. Meanwhile, five former SSL executives, including former group FD Paul Saunders and UK finance director Christine Davenport, await trial to face charges on corruption and making false statements.

Torex Retail has appointed Richard Thompson as group finance director. Thompson served for two years as FD at Project Telecommunications before its acquisition by Vodafone in January 2004. He then oversaw the transfer of the company’s finance function into Vodafone’s head office.

Semiconductor manufacturer Zetex has appointed former Filtronic group FD John Samuel as CFO. Prior to Filtronic, Samuel was partner in charge of Baker Tilly’s Leeds office.

Power supply company XP has named Mickey Lynch as finance director. Lynch, who will be based in the US, joined XP in April 2001 as vice president of finance for its ForeSight division. He previously spent 10 years at Atari Games, the last five as chief financial officer.

Robert MacLeod has been promoted to FD of WS Atkins, the engineering consultancy and support service group. MacLeod, previously the group’s financial controller, succeeds Stephen Billingham, who will join British Energy as finance director designate in August 2004.

Retail Stores, owner of London department store Liberty, has appointed Fraser Allan as finance director. Allan previously served as chief executive at interior finishes brand Fired Earth. Allan replace Nick Mather, who has been FD since December 2001.

Josephine Dixon, the former finance director of Newcastle United, has joined the board of Close Finsbury Asset Management as non-executive director and chair of its audit committee.

Accountancy firm Numerica Group has promoted group financial controller Adrian Colman to group finance director. The vacancy was created by the promotion of Peter Jenkins to chief executive.

Gaming group Gala has appointed Matthew Roberts as finance director. Roberts, former FD of Debenhams, was involved in its demerger from the Burton Group and its subsequent listing on the London Stock Exchange.

Former Pubmaster finance director and chief operating officer Ron Turnbull has left the managed pubs group to become FD of furniture company ScS, replacing Sacha Beere. Turnbull spent 12 years at Pubmaster, which was sold to Punch Taverns in December 2003.

British Sky Broadcasting has appointed Tesco finance and strategy director Andrew Higginson as non-executive director. Higginson has served at Tesco since 1997, having previously worked for Burton as group FD. Higginson is a member of the Hundred Group of Finance Directors and chairman of Tesco Personal Finance.

Laurence Campbell is to leave as FD of Heywood Williams to become FD of law firm Hammonds. Group financial controller Mark Wild will temporarily succeed Campbell as FD until a replacement is found.

Andrew Hind, former FD of children’s charity Barnados, has left his position as chief operating officer of the BBC World Service to become chief executive of the Charity Commission. Hind was co-founder of the Charity Finance Directors Group.

Steve Back, group finance director of supermarket chain Somerfield, will be appointed chief executive in September 2004. David Cheyne, the group’s head of convenience business, will replace Back as FD.

Jonathan Lea, Coats group FD, announced his resignation in June after 24 years of service. “With Coats now a wholly owned subsidiary of Guinness Peat Group and the refinancing of the company virtually completed, it is time to seek new professional challenges,” Lea said.

Following Alltracel Chemicals’ AGM in August 2004, Tony Richardson will be promoted from group finance director of the company to chief executive. John Kelly will be appointed group finance director.

Bright Futures Group, the powered wheelchairs and scooters company, announced that FD Lance Hickman would leave the company “with immediate effect”. Hickman is to be retained as a consultant for three months while a replacement is found.

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