PRESS DIGEST - Financial Times - July 30

TWO BOARD MEMBERS QUIT OPD

Lady Bottomley and Richard Boggis-Rolfe have resigned from the board of the recruitment group OPD OPD.L. The resignations follow the close of a recommended cash offer from the OPD chairman Peter Hearn who had offered 57 pence per share. Mr Hearn had amassed a 27 per cent stake in the company before the launch and his offer was taken up by a further 31 per cent of share holders; leaving Mr Hearn's vehicle as the largest shareholder with just under 63 per cent of the company. During the offer period Schroder raised its stake in OPD from 22 to 25 per cent with the aim of preventing Mr Hearn taking the company private.

Prepared for Reuters by Durrants