David Edwards, managing director of CTS, has resigned and will leave the company at the end of the year. Edwards joined the Melville Group as a management accountant in 1991 and was then quickly promoted to operational finance director. Following Melville’s acquisition of Coventry Data Services in 1996 he was appointed managing director of CTS in 1997.

Since then Edwards has been instrumental in transforming CTS into the largest exhibition and event registration company in the UK. He has played a fundamental part in re-focusing CTS not only as a registration company but also a database management and applications business.

Commenting on the departure, Melville chief executive Nick Marshall said: “I’d like to personally thank Dave for all his efforts over the years in driving the CTS business to the position it is now in today as a market leading registration, data and applications business. David leaves the business with strong, solid foundations and he will be working closely with the management team here to ensure a smooth handover before he leaves. David is widely respected in the industry and all of us here at Melville wish him well as he explores other business opportunities.”

Edwards added: “I have enjoyed working within the Melville Group for the last 17 years and I wish all of the management and staff at both Melville and CTS all of the very best for the future. I’d especially like to thank the team at CTS without whom whose efforts I couldn’t have achieved half of what I set out to do when I joined in 1997. I leave behind a great team of people and a leading data and registration company the combination of which can only see the business go from strength to strength."