Next Fifteen maintains strong trading through May

Next Fifteen Communications said in an update on Thursday that trading had remained “strong”, and ahead of management expectations.

The AIM-traded firm said its recently-described revenue growth had continued to be strong, helped further by the strength of the dollar.

For the three months ended 30 April, total revenues increased by around 68% year-on-year to £130m, with organic revenue growth of about 37%.

Trading was “strong” throughout May, the board said, with adjusted profit before tax still ahead of management expectations.

Next Fifteen also announced that Paul E Butler had been appointed as a non-executive director, with immediate effect.

Butler’s appointment would add further US experience and complementary skills to the board, the company said.

It described him as an “expert” in business development, strategy, and operations, with more than 20 years of experience in the media, entertainment, and consulting sectors.

Butler is currently president and chief transformation officer at New America, a US-based think tank founded in 1999.

Before that, he was chief operating officer at Omnicom-owned consultancy Sparks & Honey.

“Paul is a great addition to our board, adding complementary experience in consultancy and transformation which is highly relevant as we continue to utilise technology and data as a growth consultancy,” said chairman Penny Ladkin-Brand.

“In addition to the recent appointment of Dianna Jones to the board, Paul also brings knowledge and understanding of the US market, which remains a key market for us.”

At 1129 BST, shares in Next Fifteen Communications Group were down 4.04% at 854p.

Reporting by Josh White at Sharecast.com.