Ft Fbt Discussion Threads

[paulcon1] 22/10/2018 19:09

Bonio

Agree, I find some posters comments baffling, when defending J Lees, posters suggested he was Finance officer and therefore it was not his responsibility to drive profits... BUT this Finance Officer (not known until today) will automatically turn the whole business around and signals unbelievable success.

Unbelievable hyperbole!!!!

IMHO

And the guy hasn't started yet!

[nickb] 22/10/2018 18:35

Technology done ✅

Strong A Team assembled ✅

Video market finally ready to embrace Cloud for production ✅

Stock market 💤

Investors need a 💡moment!

[nickb] 22/10/2018 18:26

GH2
😀👍

[bonio10000] 22/10/2018 17:24

Worked for BBCW - bunch of idiots.

He's a bean counter who happens to count media beans.

He's irrelevant to the success of the business.

Wasn't Lees on £100k for one day a week? Maybe he wants to wind down.

[geheimnis2] 22/10/2018 17:19

interesting he is a BBC Worldwide guy

IM must have known him from back in the day

IM must have told him something exciting is going on...that sort of level will be on a package worth £200k or so in Comcast role, I would guess....doubt he would be moving to FBT to run payroll and £800k of client billings...

[nickb] 22/10/2018 16:23

Big MEDIA company/organisation experience.

What about the sales director?

[cabi1] 22/10/2018 16:11

Experience
NBC Universal Networks International
Company NameNBC Universal Networks International
Total Duration4 yrs 3 mos
TitleVice President, Finance, U.K. and Emerging Markets (EMEA)
Dates EmployedDec 2015 – Present
Employment Duration2 yrs 11 mos
LocationUk
TitleU.K. Finance Director
Dates EmployedAug 2014 – Nov 2015
Employment Duration1 yr 4 mos
LocationUk
BBC Worldwide
Consultant
Company NameBBC Worldwide
Dates EmployedSep 2013 – Aug 2014
Employment Duration1 yr
LocationU.K.
BBC Worldwide
Company NameBBC Worldwide
Total Duration3 yrs 6 mos
TitleHead of FP&A, Worldwide Channels
Dates EmployedOct 2010 – Jun 2013
Employment Duration2 yrs 9 mos
LocationLondon, United Kingdom
TitleBusiness analyst
Dates EmployedJan 2010 – Oct 2010
Employment Duration10 mos

[chriscallen] 22/10/2018 15:44

They clearly think that White is a very good appointment or they wouldn't be prepared to wait 6 mths; put au contraire Comcast value him enough to put him on a 6 mth notice period. There are a lot of Stephen Whites at Comcast - discounting the President which one is this? What is his track record?

[cabi1] 22/10/2018 13:48

NickB. Stephen White’s teeth look like a bag of chips.

[bonio10000] 22/10/2018 12:59

They need 6 months for Lees to explain how the forecast spreadsheets always hit breakeven.If the company is about to convert, very odd he has walked. Mind you, he never invested a penny, so apparently had little confidence in the company. What's the spread on the first options the new FD will get?5m?

[nickb] 22/10/2018 12:52

Blackbird
Picture of Stephen White smiling 😀 on our twitter account.


Blackbird
@forbiddentech
Exciting times for Forbidden Technologies and Blackbird. Stephen White is joining us from Comcast as Chief Operating and Financial Officer. #cloudcomputing #cloudadoption #cloudvideo. More here: (link: bit.ly/2CYnJfM

[mcsean2164] 22/10/2018 12:03

He must be related to IM. There's no revenue why would they even need a CFO, given SS is a 'genius' couldn't he just do the accounts. The turnover is less than a chipper.

[nanga parbat] 22/10/2018 09:58

You a giver or receiver bonio?
The Fred the Weatherman lookalike!

[bonio10000] 22/10/2018 09:53

Nanga and Nick B

Never seen in the same room together.

[nanga parbat] 22/10/2018 09:38

Anticipated he will join the company!!! A lot can change in 6 months.

[paulcon1] 22/10/2018 09:36

Bonio

Not to be outdone by the current FO, his first job maybe to oversee a fundraise...

😁 😁 😁

[bonio10000] 22/10/2018 09:25

paulcon1

So the guy will join in April 2019 and then we all know an impact will be 12 to 18 months

So might see some results in early 2021.

epic stuff.

[nickb] 22/10/2018 09:10

Some important appointments made.

Stephen in particular sounds like a big hitter not a typical £1m - £2m pa AIM revenue appointment.

Must be expecting growth!

[paulcon1] 22/10/2018 09:06

Am I right in saying that the first RNS in ages says' that someone may or may not join the company in 6 months time'?

[chriscallen] 22/10/2018 08:00

RNS on Board Change Today:

Stephen White hired from Comcast as Chief Operating and Financial Officer; additional strategic hires made



Forbidden Technologies plc (AIM: FBT), the developer and seller of Blackbird, the workstation experience in the cloud, announces that it is creating a new board role of "Chief Operating and Financial Officer". The Company has appointed, subject to usual due diligence checks, Stephen White to this role. Stephen is currently Vice President Finance, UK and EMEA Emerging Markets at Comcast's NBC Universal's Networks Division and will start with the Company after serving his notice period. It is currently anticipated that Stephen will join the Board and commence his role in April 2019.

Stephen has 25 years' experience in senior finance roles with media companies such as NBC Universal, BBC Worldwide (now known as BBC Studios), The Walt Disney Company and Jetix after qualifying as a Chartered Accountant with Ernst and Young. A further announcement, which will include the required disclosures under the AIM Rules for Companies for the appointment of a director to the board, will be made in due course.

The Company also announces that Jonathan Lees, the Company's current Finance Director, will step down from the board when Stephen joins the Company, and will leave the Company to pursue other opportunities after an appropriate handover period.



In addition to the creation of the Chief Operating and Financial Officer role, the Company has recently made a number of important appointments including Adrian Lambert as Marketing Director and Oliver Parker as a Strategic Account Director. The Company has also hired George Maddocks in its Pre-Sales team and appointed a senior developer.



David Main, Chairman of Forbidden, said: "With our strategy in place, and since a successful fundraising, we have been looking to add to our capabilities to grow and deliver against our focus. The creation of a combined Chief Operating and Financial Officer role is part of this strategy. I look forward to welcoming Stephen White on to the management team and the board. We have also recently added new talent to our sales and marketing capabilities.

"The board would like to thank Jonathan for all his hard work over the last 5 years. He has been very effective in his role as Finance Director, including helping us in several successful fundraisings. We all wish him well with his future endeavours."

Ian McDonough, CEO of Forbidden, added: "I am looking forward to welcoming Stephen White on to our team. We have made some important new hires to our sales and marketing team already as we build the right capabilities to take Blackbird to the global market.

"Thank you to Jonathan for his contribution to managing and guiding the business to its current position."

[bonio10000] 22/10/2018 07:41

So nobody left from the Aziz era then? Just another fundraising and a loss of a couple of years of performance from another restructuring.To think people on here were blowing the guy.

[bonio10000] 22/10/2018 07:32

More mouths to feed.

[mcsean2164] 20/10/2018 22:26

3 new hires ~ £400k per annum... these guys should turn the business into a fund raising consultancy for startups.