Assura appoints Jonathan Murphy as permanent CEO

Primary care property developer Assura has appointed its finance director Jonathan Murphy as chief executive on Monday.

Murphy had been interim chief executive since last October following death of former chief executive Graham Roberts from cancer, and had been finance director since January 2013.

The FTSE 250 company that it will now start a search for a new finance director.

Non-executive chairman Simon Laffin said: "During the last few months as interim CEO, Jonathan Murphy has proved himself a very capable leader of Assura. The board believes that he is the right person to take the group forward and we are delighted to confirm him permanently in the role of chief executive officer."

Murphy added: "I am very excited to get this opportunity to lead Assura as it creates value for shareholders and provides capital to the primary care sector, particularly now as the NHS needs more services from the sector to improve care for patients."

Murphy will be paid a base salary of £335,000 per year, a pension allowance of 13.5% and annual bonus of up to 100% of the base salary, with a performance share plan of up to 150% on the base salary.