Board Changes

RNS Number : 7805M

Spark Ventures PLC

18 July 2014

 

SPARK Ventures plc

("SPARK" or the "Company")

Board Changes

SPARK today announces that Andrew Carruthers has stepped down as a director of the Company. Andrew has recently raised a Venture Fund for East Africa  (Novastar Ventures) and is relocating to Nairobi. Andrew has been a director of Spark Ventures plc since its foundation in 1999 - initially as Chief Operating Officer, later as Chief Executive Officer and, since October 2009, as a representative of SPARK Venture Management Ltd,("SVML"). The Board of SPARK would like to thank Andrew for his service over the last fourteen and a half years.

As Andrew's replacement and as the representative of SVML, Thomas Alfred Teichman has been appointed as director of SPARK with immediate effect. Mr Teichman was previously the Executive Chairman of SPARK from its foundation in 1999 until the completion of the management buy out of SVML from SPARK in October 2009. Since then Tom has been the Executive Chairman of SVML and in the last twelve months has been the Investment Director responsible for SPARK's most successful exits - from Kobalt Music and from Notonthehighstreet.com. Before that he was responsible for SPARK's largest exit to date, Mergermarket.com.  He was a founder investor in lastminute.com and several other successful internet and technology companies which have IPO'd or been sold to trade buyers over the last 20 years.

Mr. Teichman, and persons connected to him, has a beneficial interest in 16,434,138 shares in the capital of SPARK ("Ordinary Shares") representing 3.92% of the Company's voting rights.

For further information, please contact:

SPARK Ventures plc	Andrew Betton / David Potter	020 7851 7777
finnCap	Matt Goode / Christopher Raggett	020 7220 0500

The following further information in relation to the appointment of Mr. Teichman (66) is disclosed in accordance with Schedule 2(g) of the AIM Rules for Companies.

Current directorships and partnerships	Directorships and partnerships held in the last five years
SPARK Venture Management Ltd	SPARK Advisory Partners Ltd
SPARK Venture Management Holdings Ltd	Mind Candy Ltd
NewMedia SPARK Directors Ltd	SPARK Impact Ltd
SPARK Black Sheep Ltd	Kobalt Music Group Ltd
Squawka Ltd	Moshi Monsters Music Ltd
Elevate Platform Ltd	SPARK Ventures plc
Eve Snow Ltd
Kriticalmass Ltd
HardlyeEver Ltd
62 Dean Street Soho London Ltd
Quester Venture GP Ltd
Quester Academic GP Ltd
Querist Ltd
Soho Capital LLP

In 1993, Mr Teichman was a Director of Town & County Ltd ("Town & County") as a representative of Bank of Montréal Nesbitt Thomson.  Approximately nine months after Mr Teichman's resignation, administrative receivers were appointed to Town & County.  The majority of the assets of Town & County were sold by the administrative receivers shortly after their appointment.

There are no other matters which are required to be announced under Schedule 2(g) of the AIM Rules for Companies.

 

END

 

 

BOAUWRVRSOABAAR