Former HMRC honcho exits Kelway after six months

Ex-HMRC CIO Steve Lamey on gardening leave after joining fast-growing VAR in the summer

Former HMRC bigwig Steve Lamey has exited Kelway just six months after rocking up at the VAR as chief operating officer.

According to his LinkedIn profile, Lamey has been on 'gardening leave' from this month.

He joined the fast-growing VAR this summer after an eight-year stint at HMRC, where he held the posts of CIO, COO and chief executive for benefits and credit, in that order.

Kelway chief executive Phil Doye confirmed that Lamey has left the business, but said it wouldn't be appropriate to comment on the reasons behind his departure.

Kelway grew revenues by 35 per cent to £350m for its financial year ending 31 March, and hooked in Lamey to help manage the next phase of its growth.

Terry Burt, chief executive of rival 2e2, said sometimes managerial appointments do not work out in pressurised environments because it is "very difficult to find the right chemistry, first time".

"In a long-established, fast-growing environment, it is difficult to get the right guy who can pick up all the threads and put industrialisation in place to grow the business further. It is a difficult exercise for us all."