easyGroup IP is seeking applicants for the position of Managing Director.

easyGroup IP Licensing Ltd (eGIP) is a private company owned by Stelios, the serial entrepreneur. Its main function is to own and manage the 'easy' brand through a series brand license agreements with the various easy branded businesses, including easyJet PLC. eGIP generates income by charging different levels of royalty to the different easy branded businesses depending on the industry and the degree of ownership, control and risk retained by eGIP and Stelios in each case. There are now 14 easy branded businesses after easyJet. The full list of these brand extensions is available on www.easy.com, as is the company's brand manual.

The other main function of eGIP is to protect the 'easy' brand by preventing unauthorised use of the 'easy' name by companies who aim to mislead the public by inferring that they are members of the easyGroup.

Although eGIP is likely to remain a company 100% owned by Stelios for the foreseeable future, an IPO might become a long term way to ensure continuity for the 'easy' brand beyond the natural lifetime of its founder.

The Role:The position of Managing Director for eGIP is a newly created role.

The main task of the role will be to manage the relationships of the different licensees and franchisees of the 10 non-travel related easy branded businesses that now operate through independently owned and managed companies, across the areas of leisure, lifestyle, personal finance and telecoms. These independent companies range in size from small franchisees such as those who operate single outlets of easyPizza or easyInternetcafé, to blue chip organizations who operate easy branded businesses under a license agreement. Each relationship requires the right degree of control, care and attention in order to generate the returns for both these companies and eGIP. The management of smooth transitions between different licensees is also considered essential.

eGIP is also the licensor to the 5 'travel-related' easy branded businesses (easyJet, easyCar, easyHotel, easyBus and easyCruise). Whilst Stelios retains various degrees of directshareholdings in each of these businesses, each one of them is independently managed by their own dedicated management teams. As these companies are also licensees of eGIP, these relationships will also be managed by the MD of eGIP to ensure that the brand standards are adhered to at all times.

The MD of eGIP will lead a team of approximately 10 people based in Camden, London, and will report to Stelios, as Chairman of the company.

The ideal candidate must be able to demonstrate:

• Proven ability to manage both the costs and revenues of the P&L of a corporate division or a small to medium sized company for at least 3-5 years
• A legal qualification with at least 10-15 years of workexperience, preferably in areas such as licensing and franchising of brands.
• Skill in conducting complex commercial negotiations involving legal issues
• An ability to effectively and efficiently 'firefight'
• A capacity to lead and motivate a team of people working within a demanding environment
• Ability to implement, under the guidance of Stelios, new 'easy' brand extensions at a pace that they can be absorbed by the organization, always maintaining the right perspective on the upside and the downside for each such new move.
• A strong belief in the 'easy' brand, gained from personal experience of using the various products and services offered by the easy branded businesses. As a consequence, the right person for the role will be passionate about building and protecting the 'easy' brand for the long run, rather than focusing solely on the next financial quarter.

Salary: £120,000-£150,000 depending on experience plus performance related cash bonusLocation: London

To apply:Please send your CV and brief statement why you are the right person for this job by email to: egmd@easyGroup.co.uk

Not all emails will be acknowledged.

Published: 14 July 2006

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