Haydn Mursell
Haydn Mursell, the chief executive of Kier, is to leave the business with immediate effect.
The company announced that chairman Philip Cox will act as executive chairman working with finance director Bev Dew and chief operating officer Claudio Veritiero until a new chief executive is appointed.
Kier said it has begun its search for an external successor to Mursell immediately.
The news came on the same day that the business issued a trading update in which it said it was on track to meet its expectations for the 2019 financial year, ending on 30 June. Average month-end net debt has fallen at the company to around £370m from £410m in the second half of its 2018 financial year as a result of its recent £264m rights issue.
However, the rights issue was a difficult process, with Kier shareholders taking up just 38% of the new shares, leaving the institutional investors who had underwritten the move to pick up the tab for the rest. Its share price fell 40% as a result and led to calls from some investors for Mursell to be removed from his role.
Commenting on Mursell’s departure, Cox said: "The board believes that, following the completion of the recent rights issue, now is the right time for a new leader to take Kier forward to the next stage of its development. The board would like to thank Haydn for his contribution during eight years on the board, firstly as finance director and then as chief executive. On behalf of the board, I would like to wish him every success in the future."
Kier’s results for the six months ended 31 December 2018 are due on 21 March 2019.
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Now let’s move onwards and upwards. Good leadership is now needed please take note NOT ACCOUNTANT.
Lets have a good Construction man running the company like in the past.
When will the industry come to terms with the fact that accountants are not builders. There were never this amount of liquidations and loss making as there is now.