KEVIN LOMAX, founding chairman of Misys, the software developer, is unlikely to have much time to pursue his hobbies of shooting and military history. Not only has he got his hands full trying to improve the performance of Misys, but any spare time will probably be spent trying to win the war at Marks & Spencer.
Lomax, who co-founded Misys in 1979, has served as a non-executive director of Marks & Spencer for the past two years. The M&S job is in addition to his role as a trustee of the Royal Opera House Trust, closely aligned to another of his hobbies, opera.
Lomax, 55, graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Manchester before working for several industrial companies.
In 1985, five years after investing cash in the start-up, Lomax joined Misys on a full-time basis as executive chairman, overseeing its float on the London Stock Exchange in 1989. For a brief period Misys was a member of the FTSE 100, when its share price peaked at £12.02. Misys stock yesterday fell 8 per cent to 197p after a downbeat trading statement.