Ashurst has found a replacement chief financial and operations officer with UKTV’s Jan Gooze-Zijl stepping into the role.
Gooze-Zijl (pictured) who joined UKTV in 2010, will join Ashurst in February, taking up a position on the firm’s executive committee as well as its management board.
Ashurst’s new CFO has also held roles at Virgin Media Group, Telefonica O2 Europe, Accenture, Telewest Communications and Allied Domecq Spirits & Wine.
Gooze-Zijl described it as a ‘great opportunity and challenge’ joining the firm at a ‘time of continued transformation’.
Ashurst’s former CFO Brian Dunlop left the firm in August after three years. He joined Ashurst from Allen & Overy where he worked for 11 years.
Gooze-Zijl joins the firm following disappointing 2015/16 financial results, which saw profit per equity partner drop by 19% to £603,000.
Earlier this week it emerged the firm is to get rid of its quarterly profit distributions in favour of a single yearly profit payment, in a move subject to a partnership vote.
The move comes after the firm halted quarterly distributions in August. Ashurst is set to restart its distributions this month.
Monthly drawings will continue but the payments, which are already considered high within the market, will rise by approximately 5%. Partners are expected to vote next month on the changes and 50% of the partnership must agree to the change.
If the vote is approved by the partnership, partners will receive remaining distributions that are due next May. In order to make the payments, Ashurst expects a £1m net increase in capital will be made by the partnership.
madeleine.farman@legalease.co.uk
