Directorate Change

RNS Number : 0389L

FastForward Innovations Limited

06 January 2016

 

6 January 2016

FastForward Innovations Limited

("FastForward" or the "Company")

Appointment of Lorne Abony as a non-executive director

Further to its announcement on 21 December 2015, the Board of FastForward Innovations Limited ("FastForward" or the "Company") is pleased to confirm the appointment of Mr Lorne Abony, as a non-executive director of the Company.

Lorne Abony is a well-known technology and media entrepreneur whose many successful tech ventures include the 2001 co-founding of FUN Technologies ("FUN"), an AIM listed company.  In 2004 as CEO of FUN, Mr. Abony became the youngest CEO of a listed company on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX), and he sold FUN in 2006 to Liberty Media for Cdn$484 million.

Mr. Abony is the former CEO of Mood Media Corporation, the world's largest integrated provider of in-store customer experience solutions, providing services to over 580,000 locations globally. In this role, Mr. Abony oversaw a public company listed on both the Toronto and London Stock Exchanges with offices in 48 countries, employing over 2,300 employees.  Mr. Abony has raised over $1billion through the public and private debt and equity markets, including over $100 million for Petopia.com, $190 million for FUN Technologies and over $820 million for Mood Media.

Mr. Abony's entrepreneurial and investment interests focus on companies with market disrupting technologies and in industries with favourable macroeconomic trends such as FinTech (financial technology) and EdTech (education technology).  Mr. Abony currently serves as the Executive Chairman of investee company Vemo Education, an EdTech company focused on collaborating with higher education institutions to develop and implement alternatives to traditional debt-dependent student financing options.  He is also the Executive Chairman of Schoold, a mobile app that acts as a student's complete college admissions and career counselor by using machine learning, crowd sourcing, natural language processing and social media analytics.  In addition to his board seats at Vemo Education Inc. and Schoold, Mr. Abony is also lead director of Glu Mobile (NASDAQ: GLUU), a leading global developer and publisher of free-to-play games for smart phone and tablet devices.

Mr. Abony was born and raised in Toronto.  He received his undergraduate degree from McGill University and after graduating from the University of Windsor law school in 1994 with an LL.B and the University of Detroit Mercy with a J.D. (Juris Doctor), he practiced corporate and securities law at a large Toronto law firm.   Mr. Abony subsequently earned his MBA from Columbia Business School and embarked on his successful and continuing entrepreneurial career.

Stephen Dattels, Co-Chairman of Fast Forward stated, "I am delighted to welcome Lorne to our board. His energy, enthusiasm and unique skills will enable the Company to continue its rapid growth trajectory"

Lorne Kenneth Abony (aged 45) has the following current directorships and past directorships (within the last five years):

Current directorships

Schoold

Vemo Education, Inc.

Glu Mobile Inc.

The Orange Country Breakers

Sandleigh Ventures, LLC

Past directorships (within the last 5 years)

Mood Media Corporation

Mood Media UK Holdings Limited

Duales System Deutschland GmbH

Duales System Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG

The Boston Foundation for Sight Inc.

Lorne is currently interested in 20,754,181 Ordinary Shares in the Company.

There is no further information on Mr Abony required to be disclosed under Rule 17 or Schedule Two, paragraph (g) of the AIM Rules for Companies.

For further information, please visit www.fstfwd.co or contact:

FastForward Innovations Limited Tel: [phone] Elysium Fund Management Limited

Beaumont Cornish Limited (Nomad) Tel: [phone] James Biddle / Michael Cornish

Peterhouse Corporate Finance Limited (Broker) Tel: [phone] Guy Miller / Lucy Williams

CAUTIONARY STATEMENT

The AIM Market of London Stock Exchange plc does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. No stock exchange, securities commission or other regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the information contained herein. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, in this news release are forward-looking statements that involve various risks and uncertainties, including, without limitation, statements regarding potential values, the plans and objectives of FastForward Innovations Limited and the companies in which it invests. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, achievable or recognizable in the near term.

Actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. These and all subsequent written and oral forward-looking statements are based on the estimates and opinions of management on the dates they are made and are expressly qualified in their entirety by this notice. FastForward Innovations Limited assumes no obligation to update forward-looking statements should circumstances or management's estimates or opinions change.

 

END

 

 

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