New chairman for PLUS Markets

PLUS Markets Group’s chief executive officer Simon Brickles is moving to focus on ‘international activity’, as a new chairman Giles Vardey comes aboard.

The high-profile Brickles, who has hitherto been steering the AIM-quoted provider of the PLUS-listed and PLUS-traded share dealing platforms and operator of the PLUS-quoted is share market, is to take up the newly created post of executive chairman. PLUS Markets says his focus will be on the company’s ‘international’ activity, especially the Middle East, following last year’s £5.5 million purchase of a 19.9 per cent stake by Kuwaiti investment group Amara Dhari and PLUS-quoted’s listing of the £604 million RAK Real Estate of Kuwait.

Cyril Theret, currently PLUS Market’s head of business development, is to replace Brickles into the top executive role. There, he and chief financial officer Nemone Wynn-Evans will strive to achieve profitability for the company, which more than doubled losses to £5.7 million in the first half of last year on revenues down 43 per cent to £4.1 million.

Vardey, who replaces Stephen Hazell-Smith in the chair, is an investment veteran who brings to his new post experience as former chief executive of stockbroker Greig Middleton, chairman of European hedge fund CQS Management and a consultant to US fund manager Babson Capital. As a director of the London Stock Exchange between 1992 and 1997, he was responsible for implementing the SETS electronic training system and for creating the AIM market, which Brickles ran before joining PLUS.

Nick Britton

Nick Britton

Nick was the Managing Editor for growthbusiness.co.uk when it was owned by Vitesse Media, before moving on to become Head of Investment Group and Editor at What Investment and thence to Head of Intermediary...

Related Topics

PLUS Markets Group