Founder of NRM Paul Whitbread to retire from the company he founded

Paul Whitbread, founder of NRM, has announced his decision to retire from the industry and has sold his shareholding to long-time business partner Andrew Ludlow who assumes 100 percent equity in the leading developer and supplier of software solutions to the AGC, Betting, Bingo, Pub and Holiday Park sectors.

In a statement made to the team at NRM Paul confirmed: “After being diagnosed with cancer in 2007 rather than sell NRM I invited Andrew to join me as an equity partner. Some 18-months ago my health deteriorated, and I decided to take an exit from the business which has been delayed by the Covid crisis. Nevertheless, the last year has been spent putting into place a new dynamic structure which Andrew is leading, and which has enabled me to step away. It’s been a great ride and I’d like to thank you personally for your loyalty and I wish Andrew and the entire NRM team all the very best moving forward.”

Image: Paul Whitbread and Andrew Ludlow

Reflecting on the development, Andrew Ludlow said: “Paul has been an inspiration to everyone who has been involved with NRM over the last three decades. Working alongside Paul we have been successful in diversifying the business leveraging what I believe to be industry-leading technology to enter new sectors whilst always retaining NRM’s bingo heritage and expertise.

“Throughout my journey with NRM since being invited to join as MD in 2012, Paul’s support has been unwavering, and we remain great friends. To echo Paul’s comments, we have been planning the transition in meticulous detail. The structure that’s in place and the R&D work that’s been going on throughout the last 12-months provides us with a great opportunity to hit the ground running, to continue to support our customers with a combination of best in breed technologies and the ‘whatever it takes’ attitude of the NRM team which has helped to get us through some of the dark and challenging days that everyone has experienced over the last year.”

“One of Paul’s many attributes is his determination to go about the cut and thrust of business in the right way which is something that we continue to do supporting our customers in every manner possible and giving everything that we’ve got as a team.”