In a statement, released this morning, the international recruiter revealed Higham, the founder of financial staffing specialist Highams and a Nakama company, is to retire and step down from the group’s board with immediate effect.

Higham was chairman of the group’s audit committee and a member of its remuneration committee.

A new non-executive director will be appointed in due course.

The group further announced that following a review of its finance function, Patrick Meehan, the finance director of the recruiter’s largest shareholder search firm Sheffield Haworth, will be joining as interim finance director on a part-time basis.

Providing an update on issues Nakama’s Australian subsidiaries have had in meeting outstanding tax payments made public last month, the group confirmed it is meeting these obligations to the Australian Tax Office. Previous CFO Angus Watson stepped down upon this issue coming to light.

Nakama and Sheffield Haworth have also entered into a business referral agreement, which has won Nakama new clients wins in Singapore and Hong Kong and preferred supplier agreements in the UK.

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