16 January 2025
FRANCHISE BRANDS PLC
("Franchise Brands", the "Group" or the "Company")
Appointment of Non-Executive Director
Notice of Year-end Trading Update
Franchise Brands plc (AIM: FRAN), an international multi-brand franchise business, is pleased to announce that Louise George has joined the board of Franchise Brands as an independent Non-Executive Director. She is also appointed as Chair of the Audit Committee and will be a member of the Nomination and Remuneration Committees.
Louise is a highly experienced Chief Financial Officer ("CFO") with over 20 years' board-level experience with AIM-quoted companies including substantial experience of franchised businesses. Between 2014 and 2024 she was CFO of Belvoir Group PLC, (now part of The Property Franchise Group), one of the largest UK property franchise groups. She helped take the business, via a buy and build strategy, to a multi-brand franchise group of scale providing a range of complementary services to customers. Prior to that role, she was Finance Director and Company Secretary of Image Scan Holdings plc between 2002 and 2014. Louise is a Chartered Accountant, having qualified with Ernst & Young in 1991. She is also a Chartered Governance Professional.
With the appointment of Louise, the plc Board now comprises three Executive Directors, and four non-Executive Directors, of whom three are considered by the Board to be independent.
Stephen Hemsley, Executive Chairman, commented: "We are very pleased to welcome Louise to the board of Franchise Brands as a Non-Executive Director and Chair of the Audit Committee. Her substantial financial and Board level experience combined with deep franchising experience will be particularly valuable given our strategic focus on integration, driving operational gearing and deleveraging. The appointment of an additional independent Non-executive Director is also supportive of our commitment to operate to high standards of corporate governance."
Louise George, Non-Executive Director, commented: "I am delighted to be joining the board of Franchise Brands at this time. The Group has a strong track record of delivery and has built an impressive portfolio of franchise brands of scale in the UK, US and Europe with significant growth potential. I look forward to bringing my financial and franchising experience to supporting the team in realising the Group's strategic ambitions, as it integrates the businesses it has acquired and deleverages."
Further information on Louise George, as required by the AIM Rules for Companies, is set out at the end of this announcement.
Notice of Year-end Trading Update
The Group will provide a Year-end Trading Update for the financial year ended 31 December 2024 on Tuesday 28 January 2025.
Further information on Louise George
The following information is provided in compliance with the AIM Rules for Companies:
Louise Joan George is 59 and is currently a director of Sizewell Property Limited. During the past five years she served as a director of the following companies:
Current
Sizewell Property Limited
Resignations in the past five years
| Resignation date |
Uplong Ltd | 07 September 2024 |
Belvoir Group Limited | 07 March 2024 |
Belvoir Property Management (U.K.) Limited | 07 March 2024 |
Northwood GB Limited | 07 March 2024 |
Newton Fallowell Limited | 07 March 2024 |
Purely Mortgage Consultants Limited | 07 March 2024 |
MAB (Gloucester) Limited | 07 March 2024 |
Mr & Mrs Clarke Ltd | 07 March 2024 |
BMA Bristol Limited | 07 March 2024 |
Claygold Property Limited | 07 March 2024 |
Brook Mortgage Services Limited | 07 March 2024 |
Brook Financial Services Ltd | 07 March 2024 |
MAB (South West) Ltd | 07 March 2024 |
The Time Group Ltd | 07 March 2024 |
Time Mortgage Experts Limited | 07 March 2024 |
Time Mortgage Experts 2 Limited | 07 March 2024 |
Time Mortgage Experts 3 Limited | 07 March 2024 |
Nicholas Humphreys Franchise Limited | 07 March 2024 |
White Kite Holdings 2021 Limited | 07 March 2024 |
White Kite Ltd | 07 March 2024 |
White Kite (Leicester) Limited | 07 March 2024 |
Goodchilds Estate Agents & Lettings Limited | 20 February 2024 |
White Kite (Derby) Limited | 01 March 2023 |
Newton & Derry Limited | 31 January 2023 |
White Kite (Burton) Limited | 23 September 2022 |
Louise does not currently hold any shares in the Company.
There are no additional matters that are required to be disclosed.
Enquiries:
Franchise Brands plc | + 44 (0) 1625 813231 |
Stephen Hemsley, Executive Chairman Peter Molloy, Group Chief Executive Officer | |
Andrew Mallows, Interim Chief Financial Officer | |
Julia Choudhury, Corporate Development Director | |
| |
Stifel Nicolaus Europe Limited (Nominated Adviser and Joint Broker) | +44 (0) 20 7710 7600 |
Matthew Blawat | |
Nick Harland | |
| |
Allenby Capital Limited (Joint Broker) | +44 (0) 20 3328 5656 |
Jeremy Porter / Liz Kirchner (Corporate Finance) | |
Amrit Nahal / Joscelin Pinnington (Sales & Corporate Broking) | |
| |
Dowgate Capital Limited (Joint Broker) | +44 (0) 20 3903 7715 |
James Serjeant (Corporate Broking) | |
Malar Velaigam / Colin Climie (Sales) | |
| |
MHP Group (Financial PR) | +44 (0) 20 3128 8100 |
Katie Hunt / Hugo Harris | +44 (0) 7884 494112 |
| franchisebrands@mhpgroup.com |
About Franchise Brands plc
Franchise Brands is an international, multi-brand franchisor focused on B2B van-based service with seven franchise brands and a presence in 10 countries across the UK, North America and Europe. The Group is focused on building market-leading businesses primarily via a franchise model and has a combined network of over 625 franchisees.
The Company owns several market-leading brands with long trading histories, including Pirtek in Europe, Filta, Metro Rod and Metro Plumb, all of which benefit from the Group's central support services, particularly technology, marketing, and finance. At the heart of Franchise Brands' business-building strategy is helping its franchisees grow their businesses: "as they grow, we grow".
Franchise Brands employs over 700 people across the Group.
For further information, visit www.franchisebrands.co.uk
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