The chess pieces have been moved around again. Will this boardroom shuffle finally cure the software firm of it key-man crisis and ward off the bears?

White will continue to sit on the board and be chief innovation officer, but said recent reports about human trafficking were a “distraction” to the business.

The move comes amid a collapsing share price and repeated allegations about his personal life, which White said he “strenuously and unequivocally” denies.