118 Group Holdings plc, the fast growing sales business with interests in Advertising, Directories, Media, Mobile, Publishing and Telecoms has appointed ex Phones4u Sales Director, Paul Johnston to the business
[UKPRwire, Sun Jan 28 2007] 118 Group Holdings plc, the Essex based b2b operation, with interests in Advertising, Directories, Media, Mobile, Publishing and Telecoms has appointed ex phones4u sales director to the business
Daniel Corby CEO 118 Group Holdings, said “Paul Johnston joins the business shortly following a highly successful career with phones4u, the former retail chain of Caudwell Group which was sold to a Venture Capital deal in Quarter 3 of 2006. Paul has the relevant sales and people skills that the business requires and we’re looking forward to Paul joining the group”
118trades is part of 118 Group Holdings plc, a b2b operation with interests in Advertising, Directories, Media, Mobile, Publishing and Telecoms. The business was founded in 2005 and has rapidly grown, with the recent opening of an 8,000 square foot call centre in Chelmsford, the county town of Essex. This site alone will house around 300 people including functions in Sales, Finance, Support and Media. The parent company has recently appointed Richard Allan, the former CEO of Perry Group plc to the main board as Chairman, Hugh Craen, the founder and former CEO of Potential Finance Group plc, Scott Barker, formerly from World pay and Meta Charge, the credit card processing businesses and Peter Hill, the former Finance Director of Dorma Door Controls. These appointments follow the appointment of Jaynie Vincent as Group HR Director to the business, following a successful career with Deutsche Bank.
Another recent high profile appointment to the business includes a recently retired Head of Trading Standards, who joins the business as Chairman of the ethics committee.
118 trades, the internet directory service currently covers around 75% of the UK by population and expects to have full national coverage within 4 months.
Speaking about the growth plans, Daniel Corby CEO said “the Board is delighted with the progress that the business is making and we are now considering two additional call centers in the UK, to work alongside Chelmsford, Harlow and our operations in India. These additional centres could create around 1,000 new jobs for the business by Quarter 3 of 2008”
Notes for editors
118 trades is a leading directory service based in the UK and offers the facility on-line at 118trades.com and by phoning 0800 247 1184. Regionally printed directories are distributed across the UK and are being printed in China by one of the leading global directory printers.
The business has recently expanded into the mobile phone business with contracts in place to connect to Vodafone, Orange, T Mobile, Three and Virgin Mobile. Paul Johnston will not have any involvement in the mobile businesses of 118 Group Holdings plc
