Directorate Change

RNS Number : 9051W

Escape Hunt PLC

16 December 2019

 

16 December 2019

Escape Hunt plc

("Escape Hunt", the "Company" or the "Group")

Directorate Change

Escape Hunt plc (AIM: ESC), a global leader in the high growth escape rooms sector, is pleased to announce that Graham Bird has been appointed as Chief Financial Officer of the Company with effect from 6 January 2020.

Graham brings a wealth of experience in financial and City matters and in growing small businesses.  He is a chartered accountant who has worked in advisory, investment and direct financial roles, including full divisional strategic and financial responsibility at roles in JP Morgan Cazenove, Paypoint plc and Gresham House plc.  He also has audit committee Chairman experience.

Graham was one of the founding employees, and spent the last four years at, Gresham House plc where, alongside Tony Dalwood, he was responsible for establishing and managing a successful strategic equity business unit which focuses on both quoted and unquoted equity investments using the principles and practices of private equity. Graham was involved in all aspects of the development of Gresham House from a 'start-up' in 2015 with a balance sheet and market capitalisation of approximately £20 million and six employees to a profitable alternative asset management business, which today has over £2.6 billion of AUM and a market capitalisation of approximately £160 million.

Prior to joining Gresham House, Graham spent six years as a senior executive at PayPoint Plc, latterly as director of strategic planning and corporate development. He was also executive chairman and president of PayByPhone, a multi-national mobile payments technology division of PayPoint operating in Canada, the UK and France between 2010 and 2014.

Between 2005 and 2009, he was head of strategic investment and all corporate finance activity at SVG Investment Managers, the public equities team within SVG Capital plc. He joined SVG from JPMorgan Cazenove, where he was a director in the corporate finance department, including 3.5 years establishing, building and leading Cazenove's corporate finance business in South Africa.  

He was a non-executive director of Journey Group plc from 2007 until 2016, including periods as chairman of the audit and nomination committees, and acting chairman when Journey Group was subject to a successful takeover bid by private equity. Graham, who is a chartered accountant, began his career in audit and corporate finance at Deloitte and holds an MA in Economics from the University of Cambridge.

Richard Harpham, Chief Executive Officer of the Company, said: "I am delighted to welcome Graham to the Board and I am confident that his combination of board, public market and operational experience will add significant value to the Company. I look forward to working with him as we continue to implement our strategy to drive revenue growth and expand the business."

Disclosure

Regulatory disclosures (in accordance with Rule 17 and Schedule Two paragraph (g) of the AIM Rules for Companies).

Graham John Bird, aged 50, holds or has held in the last 5 years the following directorships and/or partnerships

Current Directorships/Partnerships	Past Directorships/Partnerships
Gresham House Asset Management Limited Gresham House Strategic Public Equity Carry LP Gresham House Strategic Public Equity Friends and Family LP Littleroc Limited	365 ITMS Limited Journey Group Limited

There are no further disclosures to be made in relation to Graham Bird in accordance with Schedule Two paragraph (g) of the AIM Rules for Companies.

Enquiries

Escape Hunt plc

Richard Harpham (Chief Executive Officer)                                                                         [phone]

Shore Capital - Nominated Adviser and Joint Broker

Tom Griffiths, David Coaten, Fiona Conroy                                                                         [phone]

Peel Hunt LLP - Joint Broker

George Sellar, Guy Pengelley                                                                                                 [phone]

Yellow Jersey PR Ltd.- Financial Public Relations

Harriet Jackson                                                                                                                           [phone] 

Dominic Barretto

Henry Wilkinson                                                                                                                         

About Escape Hunt plc

The Escape Hunt Group is a global leader in providing live escape-the-room experiences with a network of owner-operated sites in the UK and a global network of franchised outlets in six continents. The Company was re-admitted to AIM in May 2017 and has a strategy of creating high quality premium games and experiences, which incorporates branded IP content.

 

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