NEC Group appoints new Chief Development Officer

Alan Maynard joins Birmingham based NEC Group this month as Chief Development Officer (CDO), completing the new Board structure which has also included the recent appointment of Richard Ashton as Chief Finance Officer.

Maynard takes up his position following 12 years as Partner and Finance Director at Darwin Private Equity, a UK mid-market private equity firm. As a private equity investor he has had an extensive track record and management experience in growth businesses.

Following an early career within Arthur Anderson’s restructuring and corporate finance teams, Maynard has worked in private equity and private equity backed businesses for 24 years. He worked at the Principal Finance Group at Nomura where he was involved in high profile acquisitions including William Hill and AT&T Capital. After a stint as Corporate Finance Director at Permira backed Travelodge, Maynard became CFO of RBS Equity Finance backed Expamet International Plc. Maynard turned around this underperforming industrial products group before selling the individual business units to realise a successful profit.

 Paul Thandi, Chief Executive Officer of the NEC Group said:

“I am delighted to welcome Alan Maynard to the NEC Group at such a significant time in our 43 year history, as we begin to realise some of our ambitious plans following our partnership with Blackstone in 2018. Alan will lead on maximising the potential of our NEC campus in Birmingham, new real estate projects and will also be leading on our mergers and acquisitions work. Within the Group he will also oversee our Marketing and Venue Partnership teams and all Real Estate. Alan has a proven track record in both real estate and mergers and acquisitions, and as such makes a fabulous addition to my very talented senior team.”

Commenting on his appointment, Maynard added:

“The new CDO role at NEC Group gives me an incredible opportunity to play a part in the NEC Group’s future success, shaping the way we grow under Blackstone. I am particularly looking forward to building on the NEC Group’s masterplan to develop the 611 acres NEC campus site. I want to look at ways that we can not only generate value for the Group but also really create something that has a lasting benefit to the local community and wider region. My remit will also help to take the NEC Group beyond Birmingham, nationally and internationally, as we look for investment opportunities for new venues.”