Pennant International, a technology training firm listed on the AIM, has strengthened its leadership team with two new appointments. Klaas van der Leest, currently the CEO of the cyber security company Intercede, has been appointed as a non-executive director. His position is effective immediately. Alongside this, Darren Wiggins has been named interim Chief Finance Officer on a fixed eight-month contract, though this role is not a board-level position. Wiggins will begin his work at Pennant, which operates out of Cheltenham with additional offices in Manchester, Fareham, and Leighton Buzzard, on 16 September.
Van der Leest has led Intercede, also an AIM-listed company, since 2018. His background includes being the managing director of Intelecom UK, a private equity-backed SaaS communications firm, and holding senior roles in UK tech companies with a focus on product development and sales strategies. Wiggins, a chartered accountant, has previously held senior financial and operational roles at aerospace and defence firm Meggitt, as well as Melrose, the parent company of GKN Aerospace. He will assist the board as Pennant approaches year-end and enters 2025.
Ian Dighé, the chair of Pennant, expressed enthusiasm about the new appointments, highlighting Van der Leest’s extensive experience in public markets and technology-driven businesses as a valuable asset to Pennant. Dighé also noted that Wiggins’ expertise in finance and industry will enhance the capabilities of the existing senior management team.
Pennant International Group plc (LON:PEN) was established over 60 years ago and is a leading global provider of technology-based maintainer training and integrated product support solutions. The Group operates worldwide, with offices in Europe, North America and Australasia.
