Coup at Ashfords: CEO steps down six months after re-election
17 August 2012
The CEO of Ashfords, Ian Daniells, has stepped down only six months after he was re-elected.

In February, shortly before Ashfords' merger with Rochman Landau, Daniells stood for re-election against Garry Mackay. Daniells won, but only just. At the time the firm was suffering the indignity of going through a very public negligence claim, not everyone was sold on the merger and there were mutterings about a lack of strategy to win new work.

Since February it seems this discontent has increased, apparently culminating in a group of senior partners confronting Daniells over the weekend. Faced with such a coup d'etat Daniells probably had little choice but to resign. Which seems a little unfair, as under his watch profits increased from £4m to £7.5m this year (albeit with turnover remaining flat).

Ashfords yesterday

Simon Rous, the firm's Chairman, said that Daniells had "led us for six and a half years, he's concluded the merger and bedded it down. It's now an opportune time for management change, and we're very grateful for everything he's done."