Directorate Changes

RNS Number : 2925X

Gfinity PLC

23 November 2017

 

Prior to publication, the information contained within this announcement was deemed by the Company to constitute inside information as stipulated under the Market Abuse Regulations (EU) No. 596/2014 ("MAR"). With the publication of this announcement, this information is now considered to be in the public domain.

Gfinity plc

("Gfinity" or the "Company")

Board Changes

Gfinity plc (AIM: GFIN), a leading international esports entertainment group, announces changes to its Board of Directors to complement the recent reorganisation of its senior executive team.  The changes are in response to the significant growth in the organisation over the past 18 months and interest in esports generally, which has generated multiple and diverse opportunities for Gfinity and its management team.  The reorganisation is designed to present best practice in corporate governance in better defining and separating the role of executive management and non-executive oversight. 

As part of these changes, Andy MacLeod, Garry Cook and Preeti Mardia have been appointed as Non-Executive Directors of the Company with immediate effect. Further details of each of these new directors are set out below. Concurrently, Non-Executive Directors Jon Varney, Phil Shuldham-Legh and David Yarnton have stepped down from the Board with immediate effect. Current Executive Director, Paul Kent, will also leave the Board in order to take on additional operational responsibilities within the executive team, leading the development of the Group's esports programmes and technology solutions.

Tony Collyer, Non-Executive Chairman of Gfinity, said: "I am delighted to announce the appointment of three high-calibre new non-executive directors to the Board of Gfinity plc.  Andy, Garry and Preeti are each experienced leaders in highly relevant sectors and will bring great expertise to complement the executive team appointments we have made over the past year.  It is testament to the enormous growth in the esports sector and Gfinity's prominent position within this market that we have attracted people of such immense experience to the Board. Gfinity has ambitions to be one of the largest global esports brands and having such expertise on the Board will be a big advantage.

On behalf of the Board I would also like to thank Paul, Phil, David and Jon for their contributions as directors and for helping the business get to this stage of its development.   I would also like to take this opportunity to welcome Andy, Garry and Preeti to the Board, as we move into the exciting next steps in the Group's development."

Andy MacLeod - Non-executive director

Andy has extensive communications industry experience from a variety of senior roles with major carriers and technology vendors. For the last ten years he has been at Vodafone Group, firstly as Group Chief Networks Officer responsible for the  operation of Vodafone's networks world-wide, then Chief Technology Officer for Verizon Wireless in the USA and latterly the Regional CTO for the thirteen Vodafone Operating Companies outside Europe. Andy has served on the boards of Verizon Wireless Inc, Vodafone Italy Spa and Indus Towers Ltd and is Deputy Chair of Idex asa. He holds a degree in Materials Science from Oxford University, an MBA and is a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering.  

Garry Cook - Non-executive director

A leading sports executive, Garry has worked in a number of high-profile roles as CEO for Manchester City Football Club, President of Nike's "Brand Jordan" and most recently as Head of Global Brand and International Market Development for the mixed martial arts organisation the Ultimate Fighting Championship ('UFC').   In July 2016 it was announced that UFC had been sold  to a consortium led by WME-IMG for a reported $4 billion.

Preeti Mardia - Non-executive director

Preeti Mardia has diverse end-to-end operational management and commercial expertise across Electronics, Telecoms, Aerospace and FMCG sectors. Preeti Mardia is currently Consulting for IDEX ASA, a leading biometric technology company publicly listed in Norway, and is a Board Director with ThinFilm Electronics ASA, a global leader in printed electronics technology, and a non-executive director of Blur Group plc.

Prior to the position of Senior Vice President Operations at IDEX, she was Vice President Operations for Axxcss Wireless UK and Operations Director at Filtronic Plc. She has FMCG experience in manufacturing, product development and quality assurance with Cadbury Schweppes Plc.  Preeti Mardia has a Masters degree in Management from Ashridge.

The Gfinity Board now comprises the following directors:

Tony Collyer	Non-executive Chairman
Neville Upton	Chief Executive Officer
Jonathan Hall	Financial Director
Andy MacLeod	Non-Executive Director
Garry Cook	Non-Executive Director
Preeti Mardia	Non-Executive Director

AIM rules disclosures

Andrew James Macleod, aged 60, is beneficially interested in 78,704 ordinary shares in Gfinity, equivalent to 0.30% of the Company's issued ordinary share capital. Andy is, or has during the last five years been, a director or partner of the following companies and partnerships:

Current directorships/partnerships	Past directorships/partnerships
Coram Court General Management LimitedFuture Perfect Partners LLP IDEX ASA Pittsford Advisory Limited Pittsford Limited Vodafone Australia Pty Limited Vodafone Hutchison Australia Pty Limited Vodafone Hutchison Finance Pty Limited Vodafone Network Pty Limited Vodafone Pty Limited	Indus Towers Limited Vodac Franchising Pty Limited Vodac Pty Limited Vodafone Billing Services Pty Limited

Garry John Cook, aged 55, is beneficially interested in 740,741 ordinary shares in Gfinity, equivalent to 0.34% of the Company's issued ordinary share capital. Garry is, or has during the last five years been, a director or partner of the following companies and partnerships:

Current directorships/partnerships	Past directorships/partnerships
12 Global Consulting Limited Foundation Global Partners LLP Wigan Athletic A.F.C. Limited Wigan Football Company Limited	Future-Sport Europe Limited

Preeti Rani Mardia, aged 50, is, or has during the last five years been, a director or partner of the following companies and partnerships:

Current directorships/partnerships	Past directorships/partnerships
Blur Group plc Blur Exchange Limited Blur Limited Blur Services Limited Blur Technology Limited Thin Film Electronics ASA	None

Enquiries:

Gfinity plc	www.gfinityplc.com
Neville Upton, Chief Executive Officer	Via Walbrook PR
Allenby Capital Limited - AIM Nominated Adviser and Broker	Tel. [phone]
Jeremy Porter / John Depasquale / James Thomas
Walbrook PR (Media & Investor Relations)	Tel: [phone]
Paul Cornelius / Sam Allen	or [e-mail]

About Gfinity

Founded in 2012, Gfinity has quickly established itself as one of the world's leading esports business.  The London-based company enjoys strong relationships with game publishers, players and the wider esports community and has built a reputation for delivering top quality esport competitions, both on-line and off-line, and producing industry leading esports broadcasts.

Gfinity delivers online esport competitions open to all registrants and  stages world leading off-line events in which the world's top esport players travel to the Gfinity Esports Arena in London to take part in competitions broadcast on-line to millions of viewers worldwide.  Gfinity stages live esports events featuring top video gaming titles, across PCs, consoles and mobile devices.

Gfinity monetises the strong position that it has created through a combination of sponsorship, advertising, broadcast income relating to Gfinity's own events and through fees received for creating and delivering bespoke events for sponsors and game publishers seeking to engage with the esports community.

 

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