Executive changes at Communisis

Communisis is slimming down its executive team with a new board and reporting structure.

The changes will result in the departures of group managing director Dave Rushton and strategic and corporate development director Nigel Howes.

Both have stepped down from the board as of 31 January, and will leave the business when their notice periods expire in January 2017.

Chief executive Andy Blundell praised Rushton and Howes for their contribution to the company: “Both Dave and Nigel have done a great job for the business. These changes are just recognition that things are moving on. We are setting up an appropriate structure for the next three-to-five years and for our next phase of growth,” he said.

Rushton has been with the business for more than 11 years, and Howes has spent over eight years at the group.

The Communisis board is now made up of chairman Peter Hickson, Blundell and finance director Mark Stoner, who took over that role from Howes in August 2014. Communisis also has three non-executive directors.

Its three divisional managing directors: Simon Marshall at Design, Dave Herridge at Produce, and Jon Wellings at Deploy, will now report directly to Blundell.

Howes’ responsibilities will be split between Blundell and Stoner.

The changes also reflect succession planning at the business, Communisis said.

The £343m-turnover group released a positive trading update last month, after warning on profits in November last year, and will report its 2015 results in March.