Optimal Payments PLC Directorate Change (5725Z)

TIDMOPAY

RNS Number : 5725Z

Optimal Payments PLC

12 December 2014

For immediate release

Optimal Payments Plc

Directorate Changes

CFO Succession

LONDON, MONTREAL and NEW YORK (12December 2014) - Optimal Payments Plc (LSE AIM: OPAY, "Optimal Payments" or the "Company") announces that Keith Butcher, Chief Financial Officer (CFO), will be leaving the Company to take on a new role.

The Company is pleased to announce that Brian McArthur-Muscroft, age 51, will succeed Keith as CFO and Director of the Company, with effect from 1 January 2015. Brian has over 25 years' experience of dealing with financial strategy, with the last 20 years specialising in the technology sector. Keith will step down from the Board on 1 January 2015 and has agreed to remain with the Company until 31 March 2015 to oversee an orderly transition and assist in the preparation of the year-end Report and Accounts, before taking up a new role.

Brian was previously Group Finance Director at Telecity Group Plc where he led the IPO of the business in 2007 and raised GBP400 million in senior debt facilities with major UK institutions to support the rapid growth of the business. Brian was chosen as the ICAEW's FTSE 250 Finance Director of the Year in 2012 and Business Week's Finance Director of the Year in 2013. He currently serves as a Non-executive Director on the Board of Robert Walters Plc (appointed in May 2013). In former roles, Brian was CFO at Viatel, Eckoh Technologies Plc and Cable & Wireless HKT Multimedia. Brian is also a restructuring specialist and was the Interim CFO on the successful turnaround of MCI Worldcom EMEA. Brian is a Governor of Hockerill Anglo European College, a leading secondary school in Hertfordshire and a trustee of Touraid, an international rugby charity which organises tournaments to bring disadvantaged children from all over the world to the UK through the creation of long-term links with UK schools and clubs. Brian holds a Law degree and qualified as a Chartered Accountant with PricewaterhouseCoopers in London.

Joel Leonoff, President and Chief Executive Officer, commented: "On behalf of the Board of Directors and the entire Company, I want to thank Keith for his dedication and contribution over the past four and a half years as CFO of Optimal Payments. Since joining the company in May 2010, Keith has been a key member of the Board and executive management team that has overseen a substantial turnaround in the business, which started with the acquisition of Optimal Payments Inc. in February 2011. Keith's contribution was recognised earlier this year when he was awarded Finance Director of the Year 2014 at the Quoted Company Awards. I wish Keith continued success in his future endeavours and I am also grateful to him for agreeing to oversee the seamless transition to Brian's tenure as the Company's CFO. I am delighted to welcome Brian to the Board of Optimal Payments. Brian brings a wealth of experience, from his management roles as well as his broader industry knowledge, and I am sure he will make a significant contribution to the future success of the Company."

Save as disclosed above and in the appendix below, there are no further details to be disclosed regarding the appointment of Brian McArthur-Muscroft as required under paragraph (g) of Schedule 2 of the AIM Rules.

Appendix

Brian David McArthur-Muscroft, who was previously Brian David Muscroft, is currently a Non-Executive Director of Robert Walters Plc. In addition, Mr McArthur-Muscroft's previous directorships, which he has held within the last five years, are as follows:

 
Previous Directorships                  Resignation Date 
Telecity Group Plc                      31 January 2014 
Globix Holdings (UK) Limited            31 January 2014 
Globix Limited                          31 January 2014 
GLX Leasing Limited                     31 January 2014 
Telecity Limited                        31 January 2014 
Telecity UK Limited                     31 January 2014 
TelecityGroup Holdings Limited          31 January 2014 
TelecityGroup International Limited     31 January 2014 
TelecityGroup UK Limited                31 January 2014 
TelecityGroup Investments Limited       31 January 2014 
Internet Facilitators Holdings Limited  31 January 2014 
Internet Facilitators Limited           31 January 2014 
Newincco 992 Limited                    31 January 2014 
Central Data Centres Limited            31 January 2014 
The UK Grid Network Limited             31 January 2014 
 

About Optimal Payments Plc

Optimal Payments is a global provider of online payment solutions, trusted by businesses and consumers in over 200 countries and territories to move and manage billions of dollars each year. Merchants use the NETBANX(R) platform and services to simplify how they accept credit and debit card, direct-from-bank, and alternative and local payments; and the NETELLER(R) service to increase revenues and capture new customers. Consumers use the multilingual and multicurrency NETELLER and Net+(R) Card stored-value offering to make secure and convenient payments. In July 2014, Optimal Payments acquired Meritus Payment Solutions and GMA as part of the company's commitment to strengthen its presence in the US market. Optimal Payments Plc is quoted on the London Stock Exchange's AIM, with a ticker symbol of OPAY. Subsidiary company Optimal Payments Ltd is authorised and regulated as an e-money issuer by the UK's Financial Conduct Authority (FRN: 900015).

For more information on Optimal Payments visit www.optimalpayments.com or subscribe at http://www.optimalpayments.com/media/email-alerts.

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For further information contact:

Head of Investor Relations

Jessica Stalley

Optimal Payments Plc

+ 44 207 182 1707

[e-mail]

Canaccord Genuity Limited (Nominated Adviser & Broker)

Simon Bridges / Cameron Duncan

Tel: [phone]

Media Contacts - United Kingdom:

Simon Hudson/Andrew Dunn/Simon Fluendy

Tavistock Communications

[phone]

[e-mail]

Media Contacts - Canada:

Linda Farha/Beverly Brooks

Zenergy Communications

[phone]

[e-mail]

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