Peter Sewell moves into Chairman role

Tim Griffiths takes over as CEO

CPA Global, the world's leading provider of intellectual property management and legal support services, announced today that Chief Executive Officer Peter Sewell is to move into a new role as Chairman of the Company and will be succeeded as CEO by Tim Griffiths.

Griffiths is the former CEO and Executive Chairman of the Williams Lea Group, a world-leading Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) company specialising in marketing services.

As Chairman, Sewell will continue to help guide CPA Global's strategic development and growth, working closely with Griffiths, the management team and investors. Sewell joined CPA Global as Chief Executive Officer in November 1999 and has led its transformation into a truly global business that is today the world leader in IP management software and services and broader legal support services. Sewell has overseen significant expansion, both in the Company's range of services and global reach; spearheaded a series of successful acquisitions; and attracted new investment to help fund further growth.

Griffiths established Williams Lea as a BPO provider in 1993 and subsequently led the development of the Company, both organically and through acquisition, to create a $2 billion global services business, employing 12,500 people in 40 countries across the world. Like CPA Global, Williams Lea established key operating centres in EMEA, the Americas, and Asia Pacific, and built a market-leading service delivery centre in India.

Commenting on the management changes, Sewell said: "I am delighted to welcome Tim Griffiths as our new Chief Executive Officer and am confident that, with his experience of building and managing a world-class, client-focused business, he will be able to drive CPA Global to further success. I am looking forward to working closely with Tim, our management team and our investors, Cinven, to deliver our ongoing growth strategy."

Added Griffiths: "Peter Sewell and the management team have done a fantastic job in establishing CPA Global as a world leader and I am excited to have the opportunity to work with them to take the Company forward on the next stage of its journey. As more and more organisations across the globe recognise the value of working with specialist third-party service providers, there is excellent growth potential for CPA Global as a world-class provider of IP management and broader legal support services."

Griffiths will work closely with Sewell over the next two months to ensure a smooth transition of management responsibilities. Their respective roles as CEO and Chairman will formally take effect on 31 March.