News in brief: TalkTalk’s Stirling hangs up phone, £56m CLS on office conversion trail, Two step down from Bumi’s board
TalkTalk chief financial officer Amy Stirling stepped down today, further thinning the ranks of female directors of listed companies.
Stephen Makin, previously at Umbro, will replace Stirling, who has been at TalkTalk and previous owner Carphone Warehouse for 13 years. Her exit, for personal reasons, follows those of Stacey Cartwright at Burberry and Rona Fairhead at Pearson.
£56m CLS on office conversion trail
London developer CLS Holdings is on the looking to buy office buildings to convert to flats after the relaxation by the Government of planning rules last month. Chief executive Richard Tice said the firm has a £65 million war chest. CLS lifted pre-tax profits 49% to £56.1 million last year, helped by the rising value of two schemes in Vauxhall that got planning permission.
Two step down from Bumi’s board
Two board members of Nat Rothschild’s Indonesian coalminer Bumi have resigned citing pressure of other commitments. Ten days after Rothschild’s bid to oust 12 of 14 board directors, in a row with co-founder the Bakrie brothers, was defeated, Bumi said non-executive directors Philip Yeo and Sony Harsono would step down. Rothschild said this would increase the Bakrie brothers’ hold.
