Directorate Change

FIRSTGROUP PLC
DIRECTORATE CHANGE

FirstGroup plc (‘FirstGroup’ or ‘the Group’) announces that David Martin has been appointed to the Board and will become Chairman with immediate effect.

David is the former Chief Executive of Arriva, a leading passenger transport group providing a range of services including bus, coach and rail operations across 14 countries, with revenues of over €6bn. His career in the transport industry began in 1986. He was appointed to the Board of Arriva in 1998 with specific responsibility for international development, before taking over the leadership of the company in 2006. During his tenure, Arriva was transformed into a multi-national transport services group through a number of key strategic mergers and acquisitions. In September 2010 the company was purchased by Deutsche Bahn, one of the world’s leading passenger transport and logistics companies. David remained as Chief Executive throughout this period, before stepping down in January 2016. He remained on the Arriva Board advising on a range of issues until May 2017.

David is currently Senior Independent Director at waste management group Biffa plc and served as Interim Chairman of that company for a period of six months. He was formerly a Non-Executive Director at Ladbrokes plc and was Chair of their Remuneration Committee, as well as a member of their Audit and Nomination Committees. He is also a member of the advisory board at Nottingham Business School and a member of the steering committee at Nottingham Trent University.

A chartered management accountant, David was previously Operations and Acquisitions Director at British Bus plc, where he was responsible for development of strategy and M&A. He has also held roles at shipping company Holyhead Group and business services group Initial Services plc.

David Robbie, FirstGroup Interim Chairman and Senior Independent Non-Executive Director said:

"I am delighted to announce the appointment of David Martin as Chairman of FirstGroup. Having followed a rigorous and formal process, and considered the views of our shareholders, we have secured an extremely experienced, high calibre and independent candidate with an extensive track record in surface transportation. David is a strong leader with significant experience in business turnaround and performance improvement within the sector and more broadly. He has extensive knowledge of international transport contract businesses and in delivering strategic transactions, including disposals. His expertise and focus will be invaluable in driving forward the plans to rationalise the Group’s portfolio and create value for shareholders.”

Commenting, David Martin said:

"I am pleased to be joining FirstGroup at a key point in its development. Undoubtedly there are challenges which we must overcome, but I am confident in the opportunity that exists to unlock the considerable value within the Group. By ensuring the timely delivery of the most effective and appropriate means of value creation, I look forward to playing a pivotal role in achieving a successful outcome in the interests of all stakeholders.”

Contacts at FirstGroup:
Faisal Tabbah, Head of Investor Relations
Stuart Butchers, Group Head of Communications
Tel: [phone]

Contacts at Brunswick PR:
Andrew Porter / Alison Lea, Tel: [phone]

Notes:
David Martin is currently a Non-Executive Director of McGill’s Bus Service Ltd in Scotland and has confirmed that he will relinquish that role.

Classification as per DTR 6 Annex 1R: 3.1. Legal Entity Identifier (LEI): 549300DEJZCPWA4HKM93. This announcement is made pursuant to Listing Rule 9.6.11R. There are no other details required to be disclosed under Listing Rule 9.6.13R.

About FirstGroup
FirstGroup plc (LSE: FGP.L) is a leading provider of transport services in the UK and North America. With £7.1 billion in revenue and around 100,000 employees, we transported 2.2 billion passengers last year. Whether for business, education, health, social or recreation – we get our customers where they want to be, when they want to be there. We create solutions that reduce complexity, making travel smoother and life easier.

We provide easy and convenient mobility, improving quality of life by connecting people and communities.

Each of our five divisions is a leader in its field: In North America, First Student is the largest provider of home-to-school student transportation with a fleet of 42,500 yellow school buses, First Transit is one of the largest providers of outsourced transit management and contracting services, while Greyhound is the only nationwide operator of scheduled intercity coaches. In the UK, First Bus is one of Britain's largest bus companies with 1.6 million passengers a day, and First Rail is one of the country's largest and most experienced rail operators, carrying 345 million passengers last year.

Visit our website at www.firstgroupplc.com and follow us @firstgroupplc on Twitter.