The transition, to take place in the coming weeks, will see Simon Badley take up an advisory position.

“This is the right time for me to step back and for the business to move forward with leadership focused on that next chapter,” said Badley, who joined the Worcester firm in 2019.

Barnard joins Open GI from Aviva General Insurance, where he most recently served as its COO, leading a team of over 1,500 and accountable for technology, transformation and change delivery of the largest general insurance business in the UK.

He previously held numerous senior roles of increasing responsibility within the broader Aviva business and served at the Ardonagh Group, latterly as COO leading the CIO, CISO, transformation and other key operational functions.

The leadership transition comes as Open GI enters its next chapter of growth, having secured new capital from its majority shareholder in 2025 and initiated a strategic plan focused on offering advanced technology solutions, talent acquisition and development, and superior customer service.

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“On behalf of the board, I am delighted to welcome James, a highly regarded and proven leader, to Open GI following a robust search process,” said Peter Thompson, chair of Open GI.

“With deep sector expertise and a strong background in technological transformation and talent development, James is well-positioned to lead Open GI through its exciting new chapter of growth focused on R&D, data, GenAI, people and our customers.”

Barnard said: “I am thrilled to join Open GI, a company I have long admired, at such a pivotal and exciting time in its growth journey.

“Open GI benefits from a strong suite of technological capabilities, a loyal and quality customer base, and an experienced leadership team.

“As the sector continues to evolve rapidly, Open GI is on a strong footing to capitalise on the opportunity set and solidify its market leadership.”

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fu3e, a regular on ���ܲ����Ա��������dzܻ�’s PropTech 50 ranking, is an enterprise SaaS platform transforming operational workflows for the real estate and investment industry.

Harle has joined fu3e’s board to support commercial strategy, institutional client engagement and international expansion.

Harle served in senior roles at Gleeds from 1995. He most recently led the company as CEO from 2019-26, driving significant growth, digital and ESG transformation as well as global expansion across Europe, the United States and Asia.

This month he moved into a NED role at the international construction and property consultancy. He also serves on boards in the real estate and investor community.

“We are delighted to welcome Graham to the board as non-executive director,” said Gavin Gleave, founder & CEO of fu3e.

“His extensive leadership experience across global markets, strong commercial perspective and deep understanding of enterprise customer needs make him an outstanding addition to fu3e’s strategic leadership.

“Graham’s insights will be invaluable as we scale our platform, accelerate revenue growth, and deepen engagement with institutional clients in the UK, US and APAC.

“Graham has a proven track record of guiding organisations through growth and transformation, and his appointment reflects our commitment to disciplined execution and value creation.”

fu3e. – The AI-Powered Real Estate Software Platform

fu3e says it has recently demonstrated strong commercial momentum with a high-quality pipeline and long term institutional contracts, positioning the company for accelerated growth and future liquidity.

Harle commented: “I am excited to join fu3e’s Board at this stage of the company’s evolution. The platform has clear product strength, strong retention metrics and a compelling institutional pipeline.

“I look forward to working with the executive team and shareholders to support fu3e’s strategic ambitions and to help unlock long-term value in the global real estate ecosystem.”

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He will be succeeded by Eddie Trahearn, currently chief strategy & financial officer – subject to regulatory approval – at the end of April 2026.

Since joining in 2021, Say has overseen a period of rapid growth and transformation. Under his leadership, GB Bank secured its full banking licence, raised growth capital to support expansion, grew the lending book to approximately £800 million, built an institutional funding line franchise supported by a diversified deposit platform, and increased the balance sheet 7x to over £2 billion.��

The bank has also reached profitability and is now operating on a self-sustaining footing. Says will retain board roles within the group.

Trahearn joined GB Bank in 2021 as head of treasury & funding. He previously held senior treasury and balance sheet roles at Belmont Green, LendInvest and Charter Savings Bank.

GB Bank is also strengthening its executive team. Pankaj Thukral, chief lending officer, will broaden his role to become deputy CEO. Adam Royal, currently head of finance, will step into the role of CFO, and Tom Graham, group treasurer, will become chief capital and treasury officer.��

The leadership team also features COO Anne-Marie Lister and chief risk officer Rupert Carlton.

“I joined GB Bank with a clear objective: to build and scale a bank from pre-authorisation through to sustainable profitability,” said Says. “Having achieved what I set out to do, with the bank now on a strong and self-sustaining footing, this is the right time for me to step down from the executive role and begin the next chapter of my career.

“Eddie is the right person to lead GB Bank forward, and I am confident the bank has a very bright future.”

Trahearn added: “I would like to thank Mike for his leadership and for the platform he has built. We have achieved a great deal in a short period of time and have significant opportunities ahead.

“I am excited to take on the role of CEO, supported by a strong and experienced executive team.”

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Following investment by private equity firm Palatine in 2025, Paul Taylor has been appointed managing director and will lead a newly-formed growth board, overseeing cross-functional delivery of key value creation initiatives.

Further strengthening the leadership team, Ben Chicken has been promoted to director of commercial, heading data-led decision-making across the company.

Meanwhile Rachel Miller has been appointed director of finance, with responsibility for financial risk management and corporate compliance.

Katie Shepherd steps up to director of marketing after rejoining the business in 2024. Matthew Humphreys has also joined the board and changed job title – from global head of business development to director of sales – and will lead the company’s international new business acquisition strategy.

They join existing board members Shaun Cummins, director of information systems; Austin Waddecar, director of product; and Chris White, director of client services.

CEO Lee Thompson said: “This is a natural evolution of our leadership team as we focus on driving our next stage of growth.

“The strength of fulfilmentcrowd lies in its people and these appointments reflect both the depth of talent within the business and the progress we’ve made over the past two years.

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“I have every confidence that Paul and his team will continue to steer the business effectively as we scale across territories.”

fulfilmentcrowd is a tech-first, global fulfilment provider and is trusted by 250+ brands worldwide.

Last year the company topped £20m turnover for the first time.

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The media industry veteran joined the Dragons’ Den star’s FlightStory last year and is now CFO and COO of his parent group Steven.com.

She joined the board of Digitalbox, which owns Entertainment Daily, The Daily Mash, The Poke and The Tab, in October 2024 as a non-executive director. She also served as the chair of the company’s remuneration committee.��

She will step down from the board at the end of this month.

Blunt previously served as chief advertising officer and CEO International at The Guardian Media Group, where she led global commercial strategy, overseeing advertising, international operations, and revenue growth during a period of digital transformation.

She then became COO of Future plc, a leading digital media publisher reaching over 400 million users monthly.

She was approached by Bartlett after previously working with the company’s CEO Georgie Holt.

“We reached out, we fell in love with her operational excellence, experience, wisdom, temperament and tenacity,” explained Bartlett last year, “and we asked if she would join us on this mission.”

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Blunt’s appointment last year was seen as a pivotal step in scaling FlightStory’s global operations, having consulted with the firm previously.

Bartlett added: “She’s had more impact in months than I could have expected in years.”

Marcus Rich, non-executive chairman of Digitalbox, said this morning: “She has been a very important member of the board and while we are sorry to see her step down, we fully understand her decision to focus on her executive responsibilities.”

Blunt added: “It has been a privilege to serve as a non-executive director and to work alongside such a dedicated and talented team. While it was not an easy decision to step down, I look forward to focusing on my executive responsibilities.”

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He joined Britain’s biggest listed sporting goods group in 2022 and transformed its corporate governance.��

Together with his chief executive hire Regis Schultz, the firm expanded overseas and sold off non-core brands. It says that 40% of its business is now in North America.

Higginson will leave at the conclusion of the company’s annual general meeting on 21st July 2026.

JD Sports is majority-owned by Pentland, a family group which also manages Berghaus, Lacoste and Speedo.

The board has initiated a process for the appointment of a successor, led by Kath Smith, senior independent director.��

Darren Shapland – who has served as an independent NED since June 2023 and currently chairs the board’s ESG committee – will become interim chair following the 2026 AGM until a permanent chair has been appointed.��

Higginson was a long-term executive at Tesco and later chaired Wm Morrison during its almost £10 billion private equity sale.

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“I am proud of my time at JD which has coincided with a tough period in the sportswear market,” said Higginson.

“We have focused the business back to sports fashion, bought out minority interests in subsidiaries, and accelerated our expansion outside JD’s UK market, particularly in the US.��

“At the same time, we have made significant investments to transform the group’s governance and control systems, reflecting the scale and global footprint of JD, and in doing so materially strengthened our board.��

“As we move into the next phase of our journey, our focus on business discipline and cashflow leaves JD well placed to deliver the value it unquestionably represents.”

Schultz said: “I’m grateful to Andy for his support and counsel through a critical and transformational period for the group. His leadership and experience have been crucial in building the capability we have around the board today.”

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John-Paul Savant, who is stepping down as CEO of listed Auction Technology Group after a decade in the role, will become a non-executive director from May.

Before ATG, Savant built 20 years of experience in digital marketplaces and commerce.

He spent almost 10 years at eBay/PayPal, serving in a number of leadership roles, latterly as PayPal’s vice president of product, experience and consumer engagement for EMEA.

He then held the role of CEO of Think Finance UK.

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ATG owns 10 marketplaces and connects auction houses with bidders globally. It also announced its half-year results yesterday.

The London-listed firm recently rejected a remarkable 12 hostile takeover bids from its largest shareholder FitzWalter Capital, the latest for £491 million.

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On Savant’s departure, chair Scott Forbes commented: “On behalf of the board, I would like to extend our appreciation to John-Paul for his tenure during which he architected the combination of brands serving curated secondary goods markets in the arts & antiques and industrial & commercial goods segments.��

“He has built a capable team and ATG has a solid foundation of buyers and sellers and an increasingly robust platform for the development of uniquely efficient online marketplaces serving auction and list price buyers and sellers.”

Savant said: “It has been a pleasure to lead ATG for over the last 10 years, taking the group from revenue of c.$20m to around $250m in FY26 through building leading marketplace brands.”

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Cook, who joined Steve Jobs at the firm in 1998, succeeded the celebrated late co-founder in 2011 and will transition to the role of chair after decided to work less.

“It has been the greatest privilege of my life to be the CEO of Apple and to have been trusted to lead such an extraordinary company,” Cook said.

He will be succeeded by John Ternus, Apple’s senior vice president of hardware engineering.

“John Ternus has the mind of an engineer, the soul of an innovator, and the heart to lead with integrity and with honour,” said Cook.��

“He is a visionary whose contributions to Apple over 25 years are already too numerous to count, and he is without question the right person to lead Apple into the future.��

“I could not be more confident in his abilities and his character, and I look forward to working closely with him on this transition and in my new role as executive chairman.”

So who is John Ternus?

Ternus, who is from California, earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Pennsylvania and competed for the swim team. He graduated in 1997 and worked at Virtual Research Systems, a virtual reality startup. He then joined Apple in 2001.

He was named vice-president of hardware engineering in 2013 before heading the department from 2021.

He has worked on the hardware components of flagship Apple products iPhone, iPad and AirPods, while he was also responsible for the development and launch of Apple’s proprietary silicon chips for its Mac computers, used in place of Intel chips since 2020.

Now 50, he recently spoke at Apple’s latest iPhone launch and MacBook Neo unveiling.

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“I am profoundly grateful for this opportunity to carry Apple’s mission forward,” Ternus said. “Having spent almost my entire career at Apple, I have been lucky to have worked under Steve Jobs and to have had Tim Cook as my mentor.��

“It has been a privilege to help shape the products and experiences that have changed so much of how we interact with the world and with one another.”

Johny Srouji, who previously worked as Apple’s senior vice-president of hardware, will take up his current role.

Cook grew Apple into a company worth $4 trillion with annual profits of $100 billion. Its Services segment is now a $109bn-a-year business, while new products that debuted under his leadership include the Apple Watch and the AirPods – although the Vision Pro headset failed.

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Coventry-headquartered Mpac Group plc said Will Wilkins (pictured) will depart at the end of July 2026 as it revealed its annual results.

Wilkins is leaving to pursue a new opportunity. Duncan Tyler, currently group corporate development director, has been appointed as interim CFO – a non-board role – and will work alongside Wilkins over the coming months to ensure an orderly handover.��

Mpac saw revenues rise in the 2025 calendar year, but profits dropped as it pursues a leaner operating model amid macroeconomic headwinds.

Revenue climbed 42% to £174.1 million. While underlying profit before tax grew 27% to £13.5m, this did not take into account pension and reorganisation costs. The statutory figure was a £7.7m loss, down from a £3.4m profit in 2024.

Debts at year-end grew from £37.5m in 2024 to £47.9m in 2025. Order intake was 26% up at £150.9m, but the closing order book was £90m, down 24%.

The results were in line with market expectations.��

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“Faced with a backdrop of macroeconomic uncertainty, which led to customers deferring investment decisions, the group took decisive actions to reduce operating costs and to focus on cost and cash management,” said Mpac.�� 

“This leaner and more efficient operating model positions the group well to navigate the ongoing pressure on customers in 2026.”

Mpac said it has made good progress on the integration of CSi Palletising Boston Conveyor & Automation in their first full year of contribution to the group.

CEO Adam Holland said: “The group delivered 2025 full year performance in line with market expectations, navigating challenging capital equipment markets characterised by macroeconomic uncertainty and geopolitical unrest.�� 

“We responded promptly to lower order intake in H1, stabilising the order book in H2, and taking decisive actions to reduce our cost base.�� These actions, combined with the positive impact of acquisitions completed during the prior year, delivered improved margins in 2025 and prepared the group for the year ahead.

“We started 2026 with a lower order book, growing price competition and an increasingly uncertain geopolitical environment.�� The team have responded proactively, taking action to further reduce costs in response to the near term challenges and to position the Group to respond strongly when market conditions improve.”

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Degg, who is also a �Ͼ�Ʒ��Cloud Northern Leader, has led the membership organisation for 10 years and will leave her role in December.

She said: “I am incredibly proud of what we have achieved together over the last few years, incubating projects that have made a difference to businesses and communities across our region.

“Most importantly for me, our Diversity Drivers and Rising Star programmes have supported future female and ethnic minority leaders, whose achievements continue to inspire us all.

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“Although I have incredibly mixed feelings about leaving, I believe this is the right time to hand over the reins to a new leader.

“In turn, I intend to focus on the organisations I support as a board member and trustee, and explore how I can continue to contribute to our great region.

‘I love this job’

“I love this job and it has been the honour of my professional life to be a part of the NWBLT, a unique and wonderful collaboration of talented and dedicated leaders. Their relentless positivity convinces me that good growth is possible whatever the madness going on globally.”

Chris Woodroofe, chair of NWBLT and CEO of Manchester Airport Group, said: “Since 2016, Emma has been the energetic and respected leader of the NWBLT.

“I do hope that she looks back on the last 10 years with immense pride in all that she has helped to achieve.

“Under her leadership, we have strengthened our membership and influence, deepened relationships across the public and private sectors, and expanded our reach at both regional and national level.

“On behalf of our members, and indeed the region, I extend my enormous thanks and gratitude to her for a job very well done.

“The work we do has never felt more important, so we are also grateful that Emma has ensured we have the time to recruit a leader who has the vision and energy to take us forward into our next chapter.”

NWBLT brings together leaders of national and international businesses with substantial commitments and interests in the North West of England.

The influential organisation is commencing the search for her successor. Details can be found

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