Altitude Group PLC Board and Management changes (1039V)

TIDMALT

RNS Number : 1039V

Altitude Group PLC

25 January 2017

Altitude Group plc

("Altitude" or "Group")

Board and Management Changes

Altitude Group plc (AIM: ALT), the provider of innovative technology solutions for small to medium sized businesses, is pleased to announce the following leadership and board changes:

-- Peter Hallett has become Executive Chairman from Non-Executive Chairman with immediate effect

   --     Martin Varley to become Group President with effect from 1 February 2017 
   --     Sanjay Lobo to join as Managing Director with effect from 1 February 2017 
   --     Gellan Watt to become an Independent Non-Executive Director with effect from 1 February 2017 
   --     Richard Sowerby to step down from the Board with effect from 30 April 2017 

Commenting on the changes, Martin Varley said:

"It is a privilege to be able to welcome such outstanding business people to the Board. Sanjay and Gellan each have successful track records and bring a wide range of relevant skills, knowledge and experience to the Group at this most exciting time of our development.

"When I returned to the CEO role in 2015 I was tasked with creating an environment where we could attract and retain the best talent in the business and the appointments announced today show just how far the business has come in a relatively short period.

"I would like to thank Richard Sowerby for his incredible contribution to the business and the Board wishes him every success in his business ventures.

"Our team work tremendously hard. They are dedicated, passionate and innovative and very smart people. With the strength of the new Board, I am confident that they can be challenged to deliver even more by benefitting from new ideas and concepts."

Commenting on his appointment to the role of Executive Chairman, Peter Hallett said:

"I look forward to increasing my involvement at Altitude as we look to maximise our return from our exciting suite of applications, particularly helping to develop our finance function and increasingly help Martin to accelerate the evolution of the business."

Sanjay Lobo

Sanjay is a seasoned e-commerce leader with a background of revenue growth through strategic partnerships with large multinational companies and brands.

Sanjay will join Altitude following seven years at Vistaprint. There he ran a variety of teams across the $300m revenue European business before heading Vistaprint's partnership business where he delivered strong growth, launching into new markets and products. Success in that role led to the launch of Vistaprint Corporate Solutions, which focused on the mid and enterprise market, and where Sanjay ran sales and marketing for North America and Europe.

Prior to Vistaprint, Sanjay spent several years on the executive team at lastminute.com, overseeing all major deal activity and enjoyed a successful early career in law.

Sanjay will join the Group with effect from 1 February 2017 and will be appointed to the Board in due course following completion of customary due diligence.

Gellan Watt

Gellan is a Global Brand Strategist and the founder of an award-winning creative and marketing communications agency.

Gellan founded Thinking Juice, the integrated creative and digital agency, in 2003. Thinking Juice was named Marketing Industry UK Agency of the Year, UK's Most Effective Agency, UK's Best in Strategy and was an RAR Recommended Agency for seven years running, winning numerous awards for their work for domestic and global brands.

In 2011 Thinking Juice merged with Emerge Group, which became the twelfth largest independent agency group in the UK, with Gellan taking the role of Managing Director and Chief Creative Officer. He also held a EMEA board role for AMIN Worldwide (the global independent agency network). He was placed in Elite Business' Top 15 Media Industry Power Faces in 2015 as well as The Drum's Marketing Power 100 and has been named Marketing Industry Managing Director of the Year.

Following the successful sale of Emerge Group in 2016, he now consults with global agencies and brands and start-ups on growth and brand strategy.

Peter Hallett

Peter becomes Executive Chairman having joined as a Non-Executive Director in 2015 and becoming Non-Executive Chairman in January 2016. Peter is an experienced public company director and was until early 2014 Group Chief Financial Officer of both Redcentric plc, the AIM-quoted UK network and cloud managed service provider, and Castleton Technology plc, the AIM-quoted infrastructure and network managed services provider.

Richard Sowerby

Richard joined the board in July 2013 and has helped to reshape the Group into the business it is today. He will step down from the Board on 30 April 2017.

Enquiries:

 
 Altitude Group plc 
  Peter Hallett, Chairman          07887 987469 
 
 WH Ireland Limited (Nominated 
  Adviser and Broker) 
  Tim Feather/Ed Allsopp          0113 394 6600 
 

Appendix

Gellan Watt, aged 40, is, or has been within the last five years, a director or partner in the following companies and partnerships:

 
 Current directorships       Past directorships and partnerships 
  and partnerships            held within the last five 
                              years 
  Gellan Watt & Associates 
   Limited                     Aylesworth Fleming East 
   Rotterdam Brands and        Midlands Limited 
   More B.V.                   Emerge Limited 
                               Marketing Matters Limited 
                               Thinking Juice Limited 
 

There are no other disclosures in accordance with Schedule 2(g) of the AIM Rules.

This information is provided by RNS

The company news service from the London Stock Exchange

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January 25, 2017 07:22 ET (12:22 GMT)