logo
Iomart chief executive Lucy Dimes in sudden departure

Iomart chief executive Lucy Dimes in sudden departure

Chairman Richard Last is taking over as executive chair with immediate effect while the board makes arrangements to appoint a new chief executive. He will be supported by chief financial officer Scott Cunningham, Atech chief executive Ryan Langley and Angus MacSween, the founder and a non-executive director of Iomart.
Lucy Dimes (Image: Iomart)
In a brief statement to the London Stock Exchange the company said its board of directors "would like to thank Lucy for all her work in helping to reposition Iomart's business to more fully address the opportunities in the public and private cloud and security markets".
In February Iomart warned that users of its higher-margin private managed services are being replaced at a faster rate than expected by lower-margin cloud and security business. Ms Dimes had prioritised cloud and security business because although this market is less profitable, it offers bigger growth potential.
Iomart said at that time that the acceleration in its customer churn rate would result in profits for the year to March 31 coming in roughly 10% below previous market expectations.
In a subsequent trading update on April 23 the company said it anticipates full-year revenue growth of 13% to approximately £143m, including contributions from acquisitions.
Read more:
Iomart stated today that there has been "no material change to trading" since that time. The company is due to report its full-year results in late June.
Ms Dimes joined Iomart as non-executive chair in August 2022, having previously worked in senior executive positions in both listed and private equity-owned companies spanning the telecoms, technology, business services and financial services sectors.
She transitioned to executive chair on a part-time basis in July 2023 and took sole leadership in September of that year following the abrupt departure of previous chief executive Reece Donovan, who had been in the post since September 2020.
Shares in AIM-listed Iomart were trading more than 5% lower today as of late afternoon.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Gemfields sells Fabergé for $50m to focus on rubies and emeralds
Gemfields sells Fabergé for $50m to focus on rubies and emeralds

Times

time17 hours ago

  • Times

Gemfields sells Fabergé for $50m to focus on rubies and emeralds

A London-listed gemstone miner has sold the Fabergé brand for $50 million as it looks to focus on producing emeralds and rubies. Gemfields Group announced the sale of the fine jewellery and ornaments brand to SMG Capital, an American investment firm owned by a tech entrepreneur, with $45 million payable upfront and a further payment due through quarterly royalties. Gemfields is an Aim-listed miner of coloured gemstones. The Fabergé brand has been part of the group for 18 years and it sells fine jewellery as well as the world-renowned Fabergé eggs, which are priced at between £58,080 and £175,680. The original collection of bespoke Easter eggs made for the Russian imperial family by the House of Fabergé sell for many millions. They were produced between 1885 and 1916 by the company run by Peter Carl Fabergé. The most expensive egg was an Easter gift from Emperor Alexander III to Empress Marie Feodorovna in 1887 and was valued at $33 million in a sale to a private collector. Analysts at Panmure Liberum said the sale was a 'good outcome' for Gemfields as it would free up capital for the expansion of its mining operations and strengthen the group's balance sheet. Shares in Gemfields rose 0.18p, or 3.1 per cent, to 5.88p. Sean Gilbertson, group chief executive of Gemfields, said that the company's gemstones had benefited from the ownership of Fabergé and that the group would miss the 'marketing leverage and star power' of the luxury brand. Sergei Mosunov, chief executive and owner of SMG Capital, said: 'It is a great honour for me to become the custodian of such an outstanding and globally recognised brand. Fabergé's unique heritage, with ties to Russia, England, France and the USA, opens significant opportunities for further strengthening its position in the global luxury market and expanding its international presence.' • The hottest jewellery for the new season Gemfields sold the jewellery brand after conducting a strategic review and will use the sale proceeds as working capital while it sets up a new processing facility at its ruby mine in Mozambique. In a stock market statement to investors, Gemfields said: 'With the sale of Fabergé and the discontinuance of other non-core projects, Gemfields is now a more streamlined and focused investment proposition with a strengthened balance sheet.' The group has a primary listing on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange and operates the Kagem emerald mine in Zambia and the Montepuez ruby mine in Mozambique. Gemfieds generated $117.2 million from its ruby mine last year and revenues of $78.7 million from its Zambian mine. The Fabergé brand generated sales of $13.4 million.

The hard truth of falling concrete sales: we're not building enough
The hard truth of falling concrete sales: we're not building enough

Times

time2 days ago

  • Times

The hard truth of falling concrete sales: we're not building enough

Believe it or not, concrete is the most widely-used man-made product on the planet. So what does it say about Britain that demand for it has fallen to a 62-year low? Figures released last week revealed that ready-mixed concrete volumes had dropped to 2.7 million cubic metres in the three months to June, the lowest levels since 1963. Hot on their heels came a separate report by S&P Global that found that UK construction activity had fallen at its sharpest rate for five years. The situation comes as little surprise to Rob Wood, the boss of the UK's biggest concrete manufacturing facility. Wood, chief executive of Breedon, a £1.3 billion business listed on the London Stock Exchange, bemoaned 'a generation of underinvestment in infrastructure and housing'. • Cement works in Wales to capture carbon on industrial scale 'Concrete is the product that really underpins the construction industry,' he added. 'But if you look at the state of our infrastructure, whether it is the roads, the hospitals, the schools, water or sewage, or our national grid; we are at 11.59 with a lot of it.' By which he means, if the industry had a doomsday clock, it would be at one minute to midnight. Ready-mix concrete is principally made from cement, water and aggregates such as gravel or sand. It is the second most consumed material in the world behind water, Wood said. Breedon operates two cement plants and has more than 200 ready-mixed concrete works. Wood said the decline in demand for concrete and the weak construction figures ought to jolt the government into action. 'They have made so many pro-growth statements. They've published the industrial strategy… but they need to do something and not just talk about it,' said Wood. Last week's figures will heap pressure onto the government, which has vowed to relax the planning restrictions in an effort to build 1.5 million homes in England between 2024 and 2029. However, it has faced criticism that the Treasury had mounted a stealth corporate tax raid by shaking up the way in which landfill tax is charged. Revealed by this newspaper last month, the Treasury wants to scrap exemptions and reduced rates for landfill tax, which could lead to a 30-fold increase in the cost of disposing top soil. Industry sources said that the backlash had prompted a rethink among officials within the Exchequer, though details are yet to be confirmed. 'The sharp downturn in construction activity undermines the government's stated ambition to deliver 1.5 million new homes,' said Brian Berry, chief executive of the Federation of Master Builders. 'July's plunge should be setting alarm bells ringing across both industry and government.'

Huge pay-out at NatWest while Glasgow firm iomart toils
Huge pay-out at NatWest while Glasgow firm iomart toils

The Herald Scotland

time4 days ago

  • The Herald Scotland

Huge pay-out at NatWest while Glasgow firm iomart toils

NatWest, which owns Royal Bank of Scotland, declared it would return £1.5 billion to shareholders – comprising an interim dividend of 9.5p per share alongside a share buyback worth £750 million - in its first update to the City since its return to full private ownership. It came as the bank announced results for the first half had beaten market expectations, leading to increase its profit expectations for the full year. Investors sent shares up 4% to nearly 520p on the day. NatWest reported a first-half operating profit before tax of £3.6bn, up from £3bn at the same stage last year, as the bank increased income, profits, and return on tangible equity – a key measure of profitability. Its performance was boosted by the acquisition of the retail banking assets of Sainsbury's Bank that completed on May 1. The results were the first to be posted by NatWest since the UK Government sold its last remaining shares in the bank on May 30. The return to full private ownership was a 'symbolic' moment for the bank, which required a £45.5bn bailout by the UK Treasury to stay afloat during the financial crisis of 2008 and 2009. Chief executive Paul Thwaite said: 'NatWest Group's strong performance in the first half of the year reflects our consistent support for our customers and, in turn, delivery for our shareholders. We have today upgraded our income and returns guidance for 2025, as well as announcing a 9.5p interim dividend and a £750 million share buyback.' Mr Thwaite added: 'Having returned to full private ownership in Q2 2025, NatWest Group is well placed to step up and play its part in supporting economic growth across the UK and, in doing so, to create sustainable value for all our stakeholders.' Read more: Things are not progressing as smoothly at iomart, the Glasgow-based cloud computing specialist. Shares in the company plunged by around 20% on July 24 after it scrapped plans to pay a final dividend – and signalled payments to shareholders would not be restored until profitability improves and overall debt is reduced. The decision came amid a turbulent spell for the company, which abruptly parted company with chief executive Lucy Dimes at the end of May. That followed a warning from iomart in April that profits for the year ended March 31 would be impacted by 'elevated churn levels' among its self-managed customer base and certain private cloud managed services. Iomart was not the only Glasgow-based company that found itself in a tricky spot in July. Shares in STV dropped by nearly 25% on July 28 after the broadcaster issued a profits warning, citing a 'further deterioration in the commissioning and advertising markets'. The company warned that its expectation for full-year revenue and adjusted operating profit are now 'expected to be materially below consensus' amid the worsening macroeconomic backdrop. It revealed plans to target further savings, stating that it continues to 'assess the cost base in its entirety'. The update came shortly after chief executive Rufus Radcliffe set out a refreshed strategy for the group in May, under which it will target an operating profit of between £30 million and £35m by 2030. The strategy includes the launch of a new mainstream music radio station aimed at 35-54 year olds as part of a blueprint driven by 'two engines': a new audience division combining the company's broadcast and digital units, and STV Studios, its productions division. Mr Radcliffe said: 'The deteriorating macroeconomic backdrop continues to lower business confidence impacting both markets in which we operate. We are proactively responding to market conditions through a combination of investing in targeted future growth initiatives aligned with our long-term strategy and identifying efficiency and cost saving opportunities across the business. 'There continues to be strong long-term growth potential within our business despite the short-term challenges, and we remain laser-focused on delivering on the strategic plan we outlined earlier this year.' On a more positive note, we reported that the sale of a well-known building in the west end of Glasgow, formerly occupied by a charity that provided residential care for more than 200 years, has been sold, resulting in a £1 million windfall for charities. Balmanno House, located on the corner of Great Western Road and Cleveden Road, fell into administration in April 2023, with restructuring specialists at Azets citing "severe and unsustainable cash flow problems stemming from the rising costs and challenges of running a major care facility'. More than two years later and following 'considerable' interest in the property, the building has been sold for residential development for an undisclosed sum. The deal resulted in all creditors being repaid in full, including all redundancy pay, and a £1m pot to be shared among several charities. Blair Milne, head of restructuring and insolvency at Azets, said: 'It gives me great pleasure to see such a substantial sum being made available for distribution to charity. It is very rare for all creditors to receive full repayment together with interest from any insolvency process, let alone such a substantial sum being made available to charities.'

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store