LONDON (AFP) - Online travel agent and retailer Lastminute.com said its chairman, Allan Leighton, will step down in January 2005 and be replaced by Brian Collie, currently a non-executive director.
Collie joined the board of Lastminute.com in February 2000 and is chairman of the remuneration committee.
Leighton has been chairman of the company -- one of the best-known names in Internet commerce in Britain -- for almost four years and is also relinquishing a number of other non-executive roles at other companies.
A spokeswoman declined to comment on what Leighton plans to do with his time.
The Financial Times reported that the former chief of supermarket giant Asda had been linked with a move back into food retailing, possibly by working in a bid for J Sainsbury.
Leighton holds the chairmanships of the Royal Mail and the BHS retail business and is a non-executive director at satellite broadcaster BSkyB.
"Allan has done an excellent job for us, leading the board through an exciting and challenging growth period and we are sorry to see him go," said Brent Hoberman, chief executive of Lastminute.com.
10/26/2004 - 10:18 GMT - AFP