Aston Martin - comments

The appointment of a new CFO at Aston Martin was necessary, and we see today’s appointment as a positive for the company. In December Aston Martin’s current CFO had announced that he was stepping down by June 22. Doug Lafferty (currently of Vivo Energy) will join in July 22 and looks like a safe pair of hands. The appointment is also a positive as it probably precludes the replacement of CEO Moers, certainly in the short term. Lafferty is likely to have wanted some reassurance that his boss was expected to still be there when he turned up for work.

- Lafferty looks to be what Aston Martin needs. His 16-years at BAT indicate a no drama accountancy background, and three years as CFO at Williams F1 demonstrate some understanding of the challenges at the top end of the auto industry. His stint at Vivo was just under a year, having joined in February 21 after leaving Williams F1 when it was taken over in September 20. He clearly enjoys the automotive industry and the potential rewards at the luxury end of the market.