Andria Vidler has been appointed as the new Chief Executive of Centaur Media, organiser of Marketing Week Live, with effect from 4 November.
Vidler was previously CEO of EMI Music UK & Ireland for four years, and also worked at Bauer Media as Chief Marketing Officer.
Vidler has also held management positions at Magic FM, Capital Radio and the BBC.
“I look forward to working with the team to help the business through the challenges presented by the digital revolution and to shape it so that we provide valuable services to our customers,” said Vidler.
Mark Kerswell, who has been Interim Chief Executive since May 2013, will revert to being Group Finance Director.
Centaur Chairman Patrick Taylor said Kerswell had done “a tremendous job in demanding circumstances”.
Meanwhile, advisers for Geoffrey Wilmot (pictured), the former Chief Executive sacked in May, announced this week that he had pulled out of making an offer for Centaur.
Wilmot had embarked on a plan to regain control of group through an outright acquisition when, on 24 September 2013, he announced that he was considering an offer for Centaur. He claimed to have held preliminary discussions with prospective finance providers.
Wilmot’s advisers Corbett Keeling said this week that Wilmot had engaged with an extended number of finance providers and discussions had “progressed significantly”.
A statement issued on the deadline for Wilmot to either make an offer or abandon the plans, 22 October, said: “It has become apparent that the Board of Centaur’s views on the value of the company materially diverge from those of Mr Wilmot and his potential financing partners. Accordingly Mr Wilmot confirms that he currently does not intend to make an offer for Centaur.” The announcement was issued in accordance with Rule 2.8 of the City Code on Takeovers and Mergers.
City analysts pointed out that Centaur’s shares had recovered strongly in recent months giving it a value of just over £80m and that any successful bid would probably need to be around the £100m level.
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