News Article

Equiniti acquires leading firm David Venus & Company

6th July 2009

Equiniti, Equiniti ICS's parent company who is the UK's leading provider of shareholder and employee services, today announced that it has acquired the foremost independent firm of chartered secretaries, David Venus & Company. David Venus is the leading provider of registrar services and outsourced company secretarial services in the small companies market.

The acquisition, the second by Equiniti in as many months, expands the group's service offering to include company secretarial services and specialist corporate governance advice. This investment is evidence of Equiniti's strong desire to deepen and enhance existing client relationships by offering a wider choice of services, as well as introducing a new level of expertise and choice to smaller companies looking for share registration services or to carry out IPOs.

Current market conditions mean Company Secretaries are faced with increasing challenges related to cost management and regulatory obligations. Working in partnership with its customers, Equiniti will support them in meeting these demands.

William Dye, Chief Executive Officer of Equiniti, commented;
"This is an exciting time for Equiniti as we further extend our support to customers in their day-to-day work and offer expert advice around complex tasks. The expansion of our registration services proposition is a direct response to our customers' needs. With our combined experience we will create a unique offer that services the entire market, including offering new choice and value to smaller companies. This provides us with the perfect opportunity to take our existing market-leading status in the larger company market and become the number one provider of registration services for all UK companies."

The coming together of Equiniti and David Venus creates the only organisation in the company secretarial market to provide a dedicated infrastructure and bespoke service to meet the needs of clients both large and small. David Venus' experience and expertise delivered through its office in Esher, Surrey will provide Equiniti with the means to meet the individual needs of smaller companies. Meanwhile, Equiniti's existing offer - which already includes almost 60% of the FTSE 100 - will continue to provide outstanding services in the larger companies market. This is a first in an industry which has previously sought to offer clients, both big and small, a one-size fits all service offering.

David Venus services more than 500 clients including many public and private companies, as well as a number of solicitors and accountants who subcontract to the company. In addition to company secretarial services, it offers company law and corporate governance advice.

David Venus, Senior Director at David Venus, said:
"We are delighted to have joined the Equiniti group. This is a natural progression for both parties, given the synergy between company secretarial services and share registration. We have been offering practical and effective advice to companies and other professionals for over 25 years and our acknowledged expertise and experience will now be readily available to Equiniti's prestigious customer base. This is an exciting move for all at David Venus and we look forward to playing our part in developing Equiniti's growing service range."

William Dye continued:
"We are delighted to bring David Venus and his team into the Equiniti group. They bring with them a wealth of experience that will deliver a significant competitive edge for Equiniti and all our customers. With a first-class team in place, we look forward to the continued growth of the company as part of Equiniti."