By Matthew Henry
BRISBANE: Telecommunications and IT distributor Cellnet Group saw another senior manager leave the company today following the resignation of its managing director, Adam Davenport, last Friday, with fresh reports that general sales manager, Martin Bicknell, has also departed.
Although not officially confirmed by Cellnet – an ASX-listed company bound by certain protocols of public disclosure – online news site ARN today reported that Bicknell left the Brisbane-based distributor yesterday.
"I was recruited by Adam [Davenport], so you can draw your own conclusions," Bicknell reportedly told ARN today, which said Bicknell was at odds with the board over the transition of the company from telco to IT products.
"My job was to grow sales and work with the restructure team. We were heading that way. The way the board wanted the business to go wasn’t in line with what I was able to give them."
Cellnet announced the Davenport’s resignation in a statement made to the ASX last Friday.
“Davenport has been commuting from his home in Sydney to Brisbane since taking the role in June 2005. With the Cellnet board’s recent announcement of its proposal to demerge the Mercury Mobility business from Cellnet, Mr Davenport has decided to return to Sydney to explore other options there,” said the statement.
Cellnet chief financial officer, Mark Bloomer – a former Sydney resident himself – has taken over as managing director effective immediately. Bloomer has been CFO since July 2005.
“In that time he has worked closely with the board on all aspects of the company’s current strategy and will reenergise the commitment to improve the company’s financial performance,” said Cellnet’s ASX statement.
Cellnet recently completed a seven-month restructure of its business – presided over by Davenport – which saw the company unite its many disparate distribution operations under a single banner, capped off with the unveiling of a new corporate image last year.
The company counts Sony, Samsung, Lexmark, SanDisk, Apple and Asus as its suppliers and has formed distribution agreements nationally with retailers including Retravision, Betta Electrical, JB Hi-Fi and Wow Sight & Sound.