Board Succession & Directorate Change

Netcall PLC

20 November 2023

 

20 November 2023 

NETCALL PLC

("Netcall", the "Company" or the "Group")

Board Succession & Directorate Change

Netcall plc (AIM: NET), a leading provider of intelligent automation and customer engagement software, today gives an update on the Board succession planning it is implementing to ensure continued, effective leadership of the Company. This results in changes to roles for certain Board members along with the recruitment of a new Chief Financial Officer and Non-Executive Director.  

Following 20 years leading the business, Henrik Bang, CEO, will move to Non-Executive Chair of the Board on 1 January 2024, at which time the current Chair, Michael Jackson, will continue on the Board as a Non-Executive Director and will chair the Remuneration Committee. The Current Group Finance Director, James Ormondroyd, will become Chief Executive Officer of Netcall on that date.

Tamer Ozmen, Non-Executive Director, has advised the Board that due to other business commitments, he does not wish to stand for re-election and consequently is not putting himself forward for re-election at this year's AGM. As previously announced, Michael Neville, Non-Executive Director, had earlier advised the Board that he intended to step down following the recruitment of a new independent Non-Executive Director. With this appointment now confirmed, Michael Neville will step down on 29 February 2024.  

Having completed a comprehensive selection process, Richard Hughes will join the Company as Chief Financial Officer on 27 November 2023. In addition, Nigel Halkes will join the Company as Non-Executive Director on 1 December 2023. Both will be co-opted to the Board subsequent to the AGM on 19 December 2023.

During his tenure as CEO of Netcall, Henrik has led the transformation of the business from a single technology product company, servicing a niche market to a predominately cloud business with a comprehensive digital platform and broad customer base. This has been achieved through a combination of organic growth execution and transformative M&A transactions. This move to Non-Executive Chair has been carefully considered by the Board and whilst it acknowledges that the appointment of the CEO into the role of the Chair is not in line with UK corporate governance guidelines, the Board was unanimous that Henrik's deep knowledge of the business, culture and its markets make him the ideal candidate to perform the role of Chair of the Board, supporting the interests of all stakeholders going forward.

In James' 13 years with Netcall he has overseen the Group's cloud transition and implementation of its disciplined business model. With his deep understanding of the business, its evolution and market opportunity, the Board believes James is the right person to lead the business successfully through the next stage of its growth.

The incoming Chief Financial Officer, Richard Hughes, has extensive experience in commercial finance, financial control, accounting, reporting, compliance and governance across UK, Europe, Asia Pacific, South America and the US gained through his roles at Proactis Holdings PLC, ARRIS International plc and Pace plc.

Nigel Halkes is an experienced AIM Non-Executive Director and will also take on the role of Chair of the Audit Committee. Nigel is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, qualifying with EY. He spent 35 years at EY and retired as Managing Partner, UK and Ireland markets in 2013. Between 1995 and 2003 Nigel was EY's National Industry Leader for Technology, Media & Telecoms.

Henrik Bang, CEO of Netcall, commented: "I am grateful to have had the opportunity to be the CEO and steer Netcall over the past 20 years, and I am proud of all that we have achieved in developing Netcall to its position today with a strong product portfolio and market position in our target markets and a significant opportunity for future growth. I look forward to my continued work with the Netcall team and ongoing collaboration with James Ormondroyd, whose proven leadership and deep understanding of Netcall's business and culture, make him the ideal candidate to lead and grow the Company going forward. I would like to thank Michael Neville and Tamer Ozmen for the guidance they have provided the Board in their time with Netcall, and on behalf of us all, thank Michael Jackson for the astute stewardship of the Company in his role as Chairman of the Board, a mantle I now look forward to taking on."

James Ormondroyd, Group Finance Director of Netcall added: "The transformation that has taken place at Netcall under the leadership of Henrik Bang and Michael Jackson has been significant. Our Liberty platform is now one of the industry's leading customer engagement and automation platforms and our technology helps a broad customer base with their digital transformation needs. I am immensely proud of the team and culture that has been built at Netcall. We have proven our ability to invest in our people and offering while delivering increasing profits, for the benefits of all stakeholders. We believe our opportunity to be considerable and I very much look forward to executing the proven growth strategy which has served us so well to date."

The following information is disclosed pursuant to Schedule Two paragraph (g) of the AIM Rules for Companies.

Richard Gareth Hughes, aged 46 years, holds or has held the following directorships or partnerships during the five years preceding the date of this announcement:

Current Directorships

Past Directorships

None

Alito Limited Due North Limited Egs Group Holdings Limited Egs Group Limited Esize Holding Bv Hubwoo Usa Inc Intelligent Capture Limited Intelligent Capture Managed Services Limited Intersources (UK) Ltd Intesource Inc Perfect Commerce Llc Perfect Commerce Operations Inc Perfect Commerce Uk Limited Proactis Accelerated Payments Limited Proactis BV Proactis Designated Activity Company Proactis Deutschland Gmbh Proactis Euro Hedgeco Limited Proactis France Sas Proactis Gmbh Proactis Holdings Limited Proactis Inc Proactis Limited Proactis Ltd Proactis Overseas Limited Proactis Pty Limited Proactis SA Proactis SA Proactis Southeast Asia Ltd Proactis Tenders Limited Proactis Us Dollar Hedgeco Limited Proactis Us Holdings Inc Trade Ranger Us Inc

Nigel Leslie Halkes, aged 68 years, holds or has held the following directorships or partnerships during the five years preceding the date of this announcement:

Current Directorships	Past Directorships
Hargreaves Services PLC Tribal Group PLC	I-Nexus Global Plc Polka Children's Theatre Limited The EY Foundation

The Company confirms that there is no further information to be disclosed pursuant to Rule 17 or Schedule Two paragraph (g) of the AIM Rules for Companies.

For further enquiries, please contact:

Netcall plc	Tel. [phone]
Henrik Bang, CEO Michael Jackson, Chairman James Ormondroyd, Group Finance Director
Canaccord Genuity Limited (Nominated Adviser and Joint Broker)	Tel. [phone]
Simon Bridges/ Andrew Potts
Singer Capital Markets (Joint Broker)	Tel. [phone]
Harry Gooden / Asha Chotai
Alma	Tel. [phone]
Caroline Forde / Hilary Buchanan / Matthew Young

About Netcall

Netcall's Liberty software platform with Intelligent Automation and Customer Engagement solutions helps organisations digitally transform their businesses faster and more efficiently, empowering them to create a leaner, more customer-centric organisation.

Netcall's customers span enterprise, healthcare and government sectors. These include two-thirds of the NHS Acute Health Trusts and leading corporates including Legal and General, Lloyds Banking Group, Aon and Santander.

For further information, please go to www.netcall.com.

Prior to publication the information communicated in this announcement was deemed by the Company to constitute inside information for the purposes of article 7 of the Market Abuse Regulations (EU) No 596/2014 as amended by regulation 11 of the Market Abuse (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations No 2019/310 ('MAR'). With the publication of this announcement, this information is now considered to be in the public domain.

 

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