By James Wells
BRISBANE: Current.com.au has received unconfirmed reports that Betta Stores Limited (BSL) chief executive officer, Guy Houghton, will not join the retail consortium even though it was successful in the bidding war against the Leading Edge Group for the retailer’s franchise business on Friday.
According to sources from within the consortium, Houghton is likely to leave the buying group, as he was not part of the 95-strong retail consortium who lobbied for ownership of BSL’s franchise business.
Houghton told Current.com.au, in the lead-up to Friday’s BSL buy-out, that he would stay with the business only if he is wanted.
Everard Johnson, head of the 95-strong retail consortium – BSR Limited – was in meetings this afternoon and was unable to confirm both Houghton’s and chief operating officer of BSL, Ian Mursell’s plans for the future.