Torex Retail, the retail software company owned by US private equity group Cerberus, is planning a series of acquisitions over the next 18 months – and a possible market listing beyond that – after appointing a former Detica executive as its chief financial officer.

The group, which was sold to Cerberus in 2007 after management fallout and a Serious Fraud Office investigation, on Friday appointed Mandy Gradden, the former finance director of Detica.