Directorate Change

RNS Number : 1477M

Connect Group PLC

18 January 2016

 

18 January 2016

Connect Group PLC

("Connect Group" or "the Group")

Directorate Change

Connect Group PLC, a leading specialist distributor operating in four divisions; News & Media, Books, Education & Care and Parcel Freight, announces that Nick Gresham, current Chief Financial Officer, has decided to step down from his role and the Board to pursue new opportunities.

The process to identify his replacement will commence immediately and Nick will remain with the Group in order to ensure an orderly handover with his successor, which is expected to occur in the summer.  The Group will make a further announcement regarding an appointment in due course.

Mark Cashmore, Group Chief Executive, said,

"We would like to thank Nick for his contribution over the past six years. During that time, we have made considerable progress in our strategy to transform the Group and open up exciting growth initiatives.  Nick has played a valuable role in supporting this process and we wish him all the best for the future."

Enquiries:

Connect Group PLC
Mark Cashmore, Group Chief Executive	Tel: [phone]
Buchanan
Sophie McNulty Richard Oldworth Gabriella Clinkard	Tel: [phone]

About Connect Group PLC:

Connect Group PLC is a leading specialist distributor operating in large and diverse markets. The Group has four separate divisions, connecting suppliers to customers in an efficient, knowledgeable and service oriented way:

•              Connect News & Media - Encompassing: Smiths News and Dawson Media Direct. Smiths News is the UK's largest newspaper and magazine wholesaling business with an approximate 55 per cent market share. It distributes newspapers and magazines on behalf of all the major national publishers as well as a large number of regional titles. It serves approximately 30,000 customers across England and Wales, including large general retailers as well as smaller independent newsagents delivering approximately 35 million newspapers and 11 million magazines weekly. Smiths News also wholly owns Pass My Parcel, a Click & Collect delivery service for outbound and returns parcels with Amazon and ASOS as key clients. Dawson Media Direct supplies newspapers, magazines and inflight entertainment to airlines, airport terminals and other international travel points in over 50 countries worldwide.

•              Connect Books - Combining a number of recognised brands in print and digital bookselling across four customer focused business units: Wholesale, including Bertrams Books; UK Libraries, including Dawson Books; Direct to Consumer, including Wordery and International, including Erasmus. The division serves over 8,200 customers in approximately 100 countries, with over 170,000 in stock titles for next day delivery and access to over a further nine million consumer and twenty million academic titles.

•              Connect Education & Care - A leading independent supplier of consumable products through The Consortium and West Mercia Supplies. The division holds an approximate 5 per cent market share of the estimated addressable market, comprising the consumables element of education spend. It serves over 30,000 customers with an extensive range of over 40,000 products across a branded, own-brand and value range, including exercise books, stationery, arts and craft and cleaning products through a paper based catalogue and increasing focus on e-commerce trading with schools.

•              Connect Parcel Freight - Tuffnells is a leading provider of next-day B2B delivery of mixed freight and parcel consignments. The business specialises in items of irregular dimension and weight ("IDW"), examples of which include bulky furnishings, building materials and automotive parts. Tuffnells offers national distribution coverage, with a network of 37 depots throughout the UK.  Using a largely depot-to-depot operational model, Tuffnells makes over 10 million deliveries per annum, providing a range of flexible services to over 4,200 largely 'SME' customers.

 

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