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accesso Technology Group PLC on Monday said Chief Executive Steve Brown is stepping down as it reported a jump in annual profit and a small acquisition. The Berkshire, England-based provider of software for the leisure, entertainment and cultural sector said Brown will be succeeded by Chief Operating Officer Lee Cowie on May 1. Brown will remain with the business for a ‘period’ to support the transition, he said. Brown stepped back into the role of CEO at accesso in January 2020, after previously serving as President & CEO from 2016 to 2018. Pretax profit rose 38% to $14.3 million in 2025 from $10.4 million the year before, as revenue edged up 1.8% to $155.1 million from $152.3 million. The increase in statutory profits was driven by reduced amortisation, share-based payment charges and net interest expense, Chief Financial Officer Matthew Boyle said. Sales grew 4.2% in Ticketing and Distribution and by 15% in Professional Services, offsetting a 9.9% decline in Guest Experience. Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation grew 0.8% to $23.0 million from $22.8 million. Basic earnings per share jumped 46% to 27.96 US cents from 19.21 cents, and grew 15% to 44.26 cents from 38.39 cents on an adjusted basis. Brown said consumer behaviour was constrained and discretionary spending uneven in another year of heightened uncertainty across the global economy. ‘This drove transactional volatility and increased pressure on our customers’ revenue streams,’ he explained. Nonetheless, accesso still delivered strong strategic and operational progress, Brown added. Looking ahead, accesso reported a ‘solid’ start to 2026 with broader momentum across the business reinforcing confidence in the long-term strength of its queuing, ticketing and guest management products. Noting the Middle East uncertainty, accesso said it expects professional services milestones and licence implementations in the region to generate between $4.5 million and $5.0 million of revenue in the current year. The company believes revenue and cash Ebitda for 2026 will be consistent with current market expectations of $146 million and $20.0 million respectively. Shares in accesso Technology rose 4.8% to 252.50 pence each in London on Monday. In addition, the company announced the up to $12.1 million acquisition of Dexibit Ltd, the data analytics and artificial intelligence platform for the visitor attractions industry. The cash deal will be funded from existing resources. The firm will pay an initial $7.1 million in cash, with potential additional consideration of up to $5.0 million due over a three-year period, subject to the satisfaction of certain performance conditions. Accesso said it believes the ‘strategic and commercial benefits’ of the deal will deliver significant value over the medium term. In 2025, Dexibit reported unaudited revenue of $1.0 million and a pretax loss of $200,000. Copyright 2026 Alliance News Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
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