ZEGONA COMMUNICATIONS PLC ("Zegona")
ZEGONA STRENGTHENS LEADERSHIP TEAM
6th February 2017
Zegona, the LSE Main Market company established to acquire and operate businesses in the European Telecommunications, Media and Technology (''TMT'') sector, announces a range of measures that strengthen its board and executive team.
Strengthening Zegona's board:
· Effective from today, Ashley Martin will join the board as an independent non-executive director, Chairman of the Audit & Risk Committee and a member of the Nomination & Remuneration Committee. Ashley brings a wealth of complementary experience to the Zegona board. As Audit Committee Chair at Rightmove plc, he gained valuable insight into an entrepreneurial, high-growth consumer technology business and he combines this with a successful executive career in larger listed companies with a particular focus on mergers and acquisitions. Ashley was most recently Global Chief Financial Officer of private equity backed Engine Holding LLC and previously Group Finance Director of Rok plc, the building services group, and Group Finance Director of the media services company, Tempus plc. Murray Scott will continue to serve as a member of the Audit & Risk Committee.
· To further strengthen the independence of the board's committees, Robert Samuelson will step down from the Audit & Risk and Nomination & Remuneration Committees and Mark Brangstrup-Watts will step down from the Audit & Risk Committee, both at the next Annual General Meeting. This will ensure both committees are comprised of only non-executive directors.
Strengthening Zegona's executive team:
· Also effective today, Dean Checkley, who has been Zegona's Finance Director since 1st October 2016 will succeed Howard Kalika as Chief Financial Officer. Dean is a seasoned finance professional with broad experience of the European TMT space, having served in senior finance roles in large TMT and international companies. His previous positions include Divisional Finance Director at Central European Media Enterprises Ltd, Director of Financial Control and Group Risk Director at Virgin Media Inc and most recently Group Financial Controller at AB Mauri, a division of Associated British Foods plc.
· Dean's appointment permits Howard Kalika to focus exclusively on new investments, expanding Zegona's capacity to evaluate the growing number of attractive new opportunities that we see across the broader European TMT landscape.
Further information about Ashley Graham Martin (aged 58)
Ashley is currently a non-executive director of Rightmove plc
Ashley resigned as a director of Rok plc in September 2010. The company went into administration on 8th November 2010. Other than this and the previous directorships referred to above, Zegona confirms that no further information would be required to be disclosed in respect of Ashley Martin if the company were required to comply with L.R. 9.6.13.
For further information:
Matt Ridsdale / Lulu Bridges / Mike Bartlett
Tavistock
Tel: 020 7920 3150
Notes to Editors:
About Zegona
Zegona was established with the objective of acquiring businesses in the European Telecommunications, Media and Technology sector with a "Buy-Fix-Sell" strategy to deliver attractive shareholder returns. Zegona is listed on The London Stock Exchange's Main Market and is led by former Virgin Media executives, Eamonn O'Hare and Robert Samuelson.
Zegona's first acquisition was the €640 million purchase of Telecable, the leading quadplay cable telecommunications operator in the Asturias region of Spain, which completed in August 2015. Zegona believes Telecable represents a compelling investment because of its market leading position in Asturias and strong cash generation, coupled with attractive dynamics in the Spanish telecommunications market and Spanish economy.
