CEO Transition

RNS Number : 0707F

Accesso Technology Group PLC

16 February 2018

 

16 February 2018

accesso® Technology Group plc

("accesso" or the "Group")

CEO Transition

- Paul Noland to succeed Steve Brown as accesso CEO -

- Steve Brown to remain an advisor throughout 2018 -

accesso Technology Group plc (AIM: ACSO), the premier technology solutions provider to leisure, entertainment, hospitality, attractions and cultural markets, is pleased to announce today that Royce Paul Noland Jr. (Paul Noland), President and CEO of the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions ("IAAPA"), will succeed Steve Brown as accesso's Chief Executive Officer, and is expected to join the Board of accesso on 9 April 2018. Steve Brown will step down from the accesso Board concurrently with Mr Noland's arrival, but will continue to serve as an advisor to both Mr Noland and the accesso Board of Directors throughout 2018.

Mr Noland is a leader in the leisure industry, who in his current role at IAAPA heads the largest international trade association for amusement facilities and attractions worldwide. Prior to starting this role in 2013, Mr Noland acted in a number of senior executive roles with Walt Disney Parks and Resorts during a 16 year tenure, where he championed major growth initiatives across the company's domestic theme parks and resorts. During this time Paul gained extensive operational leadership experience while serving as Walt Disney World's Senior Vice President, Finance, Planning, and Business Development. In other executive roles at Disney, he also oversaw the resort's revenue management, ticketing, and pricing functions. Prior to his time at Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, he spent more than a dozen years in leadership roles with Marriott International, where he focused on optimizing revenue across the company's then 900 hotels. Mr Noland will step down from his existing role at IAAPA to focus on his new role at accesso.

Steve Brown has led accesso since May 2016 after serving for three years as the Group's Chief Operating Officer. He steps down from the CEO position having established an industry-leading culture of operational excellence and overseen a considerable expansion in the Group's global activities and service offering.

Tom Burnet, Executive Chairman of accesso, commented:

"We thank Steve for the outstanding contribution he has made to Accesso's prosperity during his tenure. His leadership, vision and drive have been fundamental to the creation of today's global and integrated Accesso and I have enjoyed working with him enormously. His decision to stay on as an advisor to Paul and the Board will ensure a smooth transition and we wish him all the best in his next endeavours.

We believe that Paul's unmatched track-record, industry knowledge, relationships and passion for excellence make him exactly the right person to lead the next phase of our growth. I look forward to working closely with him as we continue to execute on our ambitious plans.

Steve Brown, CEO of accesso commented:

"I am excited to see the company that I have helped to build continue forward under the leadership of a person I have known, trusted and worked with for more than 20 years. I can think of no one better suited to lead Accesso to a position of international prominence than Paul Noland."

Paul Noland commented:

"I'm thrilled to be joining Accesso at such an exciting time in its development. The Accesso team has built a fantastic business and I look forward to bringing my experience to bear in driving it forward.

My background across the industry gives me a full sense of the opportunity Accesso has before it, and with the combination of outstanding technology and fantastic people already in place, I'm full of excitement about the future."

Pursuant to Rule 17 and Schedule 2(g) of the AIM Rules for Companies, the following information is disclosed in respect of Paul Noland (aged 58). Mr Noland does not currently have any shareholdings in accesso.

Current directorships:	Past directorships (last 5 years):
International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA)	RPN Associates, LLC

The information communicated in this announcement contains inside information for the purposes of Article 7 of the Market Abuse Regulation (EU) No. 596/2014.

For further information, please contact: accesso Technology Group plc	[phone]
Tom Burnet, Executive Chairman Steve Brown, Chief Executive Officer John Alder, Chief Financial Officer
FTI Consulting, LLP	[phone]
Matt Dixon, Adam Davidson
Canaccord Genuity Limited	[phone]
Simon Bridges, Martin Davison, Richard Andrews
Numis Securities Limited	[phone]
Simon Willis, Mark Lander

About accesso® Technology Group

At accesso, we believe technology has the power to redefine the guest experience. Our patented and award winning solutions drive increased revenue for attraction operators while improving the guest experience. Currently serving over 1,000 clients in 27 countries around the globe, accesso's solutions help our clients streamline operations, generate increased revenues, improve guest satisfaction and harness the power of data to educate business and marketing decisions.

accesso stands as the leading technology provider of choice for tomorrow's attractions, venues and institutions. We invest heavily in research and development because our industries demand it, our clients benefit from it and it makes a positive impact on the guest experience. Our innovative technology solutions allow venues to increase the volume and range of on-site spending and to drive increased transaction-based revenue through cutting-edge ticketing, point-of-sale, virtual queuing, distribution and experience management software.

Many of our team members come from backgrounds working within the attractions and cultural industry. In this way, we are experienced operators who run a technology company serving attractions operators, versus a technology company that happens to serve the market. Our staff understands the day-to-day operations of managing complex venues and the challenges this creates, and together we strive to provide our clients and their guests with technology that empowers them to do more and enjoy more. From our agile development team to our dedicated client service specialists, every team member knows that their passion, integrity, commitment, teamwork and innovation are what drive our success.

accesso is a public company, listed on AIM: a market operated by the London Stock Exchange.  For more information, visit www.accesso.com.  Follow accesso on  Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook.

 

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