Director appointment

    Director appointment
             



  MIKE BRENNAN APPOINTED TO HAT PIN BOARD AS DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS

  Daren Kemp promoted to position of CEO, Akamai Financial Markets

Hat Pin plc, the international human resources group operating
through market-leading brands Akamai Financial Markets, Executive
Access, Saxton Bampfylde and The Talent Business, today announces the
appointment of Mike Brennan (age 41) to its Board in the newly
created position of Director of Operations. On taking this new role
he will step down from his current position as Chief Executive
Officer of Akamai. Succeeding him as CEO will be Daren Kemp,
currently Managing Director of Akamai's Asia-Pacific operations. Both
appointments will be effective from 1 January 2008.

Mike Brennan

Reporting to Angela Campbell-Noë, Chief Executive of Hat Pin plc, the
new position of Director of Operations will primarily focus on
exploring the synergies and opportunities for collaboration between
the Hat Pin businesses on a global scale and ensuring that each
company has a high level of operating support. Additionally, and as a
member of the plc Board, Mike will be involved in the formulation of
strategy and in particular the operational review of acquisition
targets and execution of subsequent integration strategies.

Michael John Brennan joined Stephens International in 1992 as an
Executive Search consultant, before moving to Alexander Mann in 1994
as MD and Global Head of Financial Markets. He founded the UK and
Asian operations and played a key role in the £6.9m sale of the
business to Hat Pin in September 2006 and its re-branding as Akamai
Financial Markets. Since joining Hat Pin, he has spearheaded Akamai's
global strategy of organic growth taking the number of offices it
operates from two to five, doubling its headcount and this year
personally leading the team which established Akamai's Tokyo
operations.

In the past five years, Mike has held the following directorships,
all of which are current:

Akamai Financial Markets (Dubai) Limited
Akamai Financial Markets (Hong Kong) Limited
Akamai Financial Markets (Japan) Limited
Akamai Financial Markets (Singapore) Limited
Akamai Financial Markets (UK) Limited

There is no other information that is required to be disclosed under
Schedule 2 paragraph (g) of the AIM Rules.

Daren Kemp

Daren Kemp will be appointed Chief Executive of Akamai Financial
Markets with effect from 1 January 2008, reporting directly to Angela
Campbell-Noë. Currently Managing Director of Akamai's Asia-Pacific
operations, he joined the company from Executive Access Asia in 2004.
In his current role he is responsible for implementing Akamai's
growth strategy across the Asia-Pacific Region.

Commenting on the appointments, Angela Campbell-Noë, Chief Executive
of Hat Pin plc, said:
"I am delighted to both welcome someone of Mike's capability and
depth of international experience to the Board, in a new role where I
know he will excel, and announce the promotion of Daren to succeed
Mike in leading Akamai globally."

For further information, please contact:

Hat Pin plc
Angela Campbell-Noë, Chief Executive
Paul Billett, Finance Director
[phone]

Hogarth Partnership Limited
Julian Walker
[phone]

Notes to Editors

Hat Pin plc (www.hatpin.co.uk)
Hat Pin primarily operates in the provision of human resource. The
Group currently operates globally through its four subsidiary brands
- - the wholly-owned Akamai Financial Markets, Executive Access and The
Talent Business, and the 70%-owned Saxton Bampfylde:

Akamai Financial Markets (www.akamaifinancial.com) is a specialist
international executive search firm concentrating in the financial
services and financial markets arena, with leading positions in
London, Hong Kong, Singapore, Tokyo and Dubai.

Executive Access (www.executiveaccess.co.in) is a leading executive
search firm in India, operating across the financial services,
technology, corporate, academia and not-for-profit sectors in India
and has a well-established, blue chip client base and operational
diversity.

Saxton Bampfylde (www.saxbam.com) is a premium brand in the executive
search industry both in the private sector - where it has an
extensive track record in boardroom and senior management
appointments - and in the public and not-for-profit sectors - as a
leading adviser on senior appointments in higher education, central
government, charities and the arts.

The Talent Business (www.thetalentbusiness.com) is the leading global
specialist in marketing communications talent. Formerly known as
Kendall Tarrant Worldwide, The Talent Business has offices in London,
New York, San Francisco, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Singapore.

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