Software firm appoints industry big-hitter

Ideagen has announced the appointment of former AVEVA Group chief executive Richard Longdon to its Board.

The news follows the retirement of non-executive director Jonathan Wearing, who had been with the Ruddington-based firm for 16 years.

Richard Longdon

Longdon will officially take up his position on 1 November.

He spent 33 years with AVEVA, including 17 as CEO, until December 2016. The company was valued at £1.4 billion at the time of his retirement from the Board.

Longdon has also held senior non-executive director roles at Fidessa and Alfa Financial.

He said: “I am delighted to join Ideagen at this exciting stage of the company’s evolution.

“Ideagen has some great people and a Board that is determined to advance the business for the benefit of all stakeholders.

“I look forward to working with David Hornsby, the company’s executive chairman, and its chief executive, Ben Dorks, as well as the wider Board and extended executive and senior management teams.”

Jonathan Wearing, a former director in the London corporate finance department at Citicorp Investment Bank, was non-executive chairman of Ideagen for fifteen years until 2018 when he moved to his recent position of non-executive director.

David Hornsby, executive chairman of Ideagen, said: “Firstly, I thank Jonathan for his many years of commitment and service to Ideagen. His input and support over the years have been invaluable and it has been a great pleasure to work alongside him, we wish him well for the future.

“The Board of Ideagen is pleased to welcome Richard Longdon, who brings a deep understanding of the technology sector and the public markets. We will benefit hugely from his guidance and insight as Ideagen continues to execute its global growth strategy.”