Board Appointments

RNS Number : 6240Y

Stobart Group Limited

23 August 2018

 

23 August 2018

STOBART GROUP LIMITED

('Stobart Group' or 'the Company')

Board appointments

Stobart Group, the infrastructure and support services group, is pleased to announce the following appointments:

• Nick Dilworth - appointed to the Board as an Executive Director and promoted from Group Commercial Director to Chief Operating Officer as of 1^st September 2018;
• Ginny Pulbrook - will join the Board as a Non-Executive Director from 1^st October 2018;
• Michael Williamson - appointed as Interim Chief Financial Officer from 10^th September 2018. He will not be formally joining the Board.

The new appointments will add significant commercial and listed company experience.

Nick Dilworth joined Stobart Group as Group Commercial Director in November 2017 from BES Utilities, where he was Managing Director. The appointment recognises the contribution Nick has made in developing the commercial strategies of the operating divisions, alongside CEO Warwick Brady. 

Ginny Pulbrook brings more than 30 years' experience as a board level adviser to quoted companies in the infrastructure, industrial and support services sectors. She is a Partner at Capital Market Communications ("Camarco"). Prior to joining Camarco in 2014, Ginny spent 26 years at one of the UK's leading public relations firms, Citigate Dewe Rogerson, which she also co-founded.

Michael Williamson brings significant finance leadership experience, gained over the past 25 years, from both quoted and privately-owned companies. He has extensive experience working across international markets in sectors such as financial and professional services, real estate, transport, technology, retail, consumer goods and healthcare, and successfully completing corporate transactions.

The appointments are part of a series of actions, announced on 9^th July 2018, which will provide a stable framework of strong corporate governance focused on protecting the interests of all shareholders. Stobart Group will also appoint a new Non-Executive Chairman, a new Senior Independent Director and at least one more Non-Executive Director ahead of the Company's 2019 AGM. Russell Reynolds, a leading independent search firm, has been appointed to identify suitably qualified and independent persons and will continue to engage with significant shareholders on the process.

Commenting on the appointments, Chairman, Iain Ferguson said: "We have moved quickly to strengthen the Board, and are pleased to have been able to appoint such experienced Directors. Nick and Ginny will make major contributions to delivering our strategy. Nick has already supported the commercial progress of the Company through his work with the leadership teams of our operating divisions. Ginny will add further commercial insight as well as bringing significant experience of providing strategic advice to the Boards of some of the UK's largest companies.  Michael, who has considerable PLC experience, will oversee the Group's finance function. On behalf of the Board, I would like to welcome them and look forward to working with them."

Enquiries:

Stobart Group Limited	c/o Redleaf Communications
Charlie Geller, Head of Group Communications
Redleaf Communications	[phone]
Robin Tozer	[e-mail]
Ian Silvera
Fiona Norman

Background information

Nicholas (Nick) Dilworth, Chief Operating Officer

Nick Dilworth joined Stobart Group as Group Commercial Director in November 2017. Nick qualified as a Chartered Accountant with BDO before joining Grant Thornton as a Corporate Financier. Nick has occupied a number of leadership roles at Practice Plan Limited, Medenta Finance and BES Utilities, and has a strong commercial background.

Virginia (Ginny) Pulbrook, Non-Executive Director

Ginny Pulbrook is a Partner at Capital Market Communications ("Camarco") and has a very strong background in listed businesses, with more than 30 years' experience as a board level adviser to quoted companies in the infrastructure, industrial and support services sectors. With a background in investment banking, Ginny spent 26 years as a co-founder of one of the UK's leading public relations agencies, Citigate Dewe Rogerson prior to joining Camarco. Her specific areas of expertise include high profile capital markets transactions and change management. A former Development Council Member of the Natural History Museum, she is currently a Trustee for Carers (UK) the UK's leading charity for unpaid carers.

Michael Williamson, Interim Chief Financial Officer

Michael Williamson has held leadership positions in listed and privately-owned businesses over the past 25 years. Since late 2017 he has been Interim CFO for Gama Aviation Plc, a leading global business aviation company. He was an equity partner and the CFO for BuroHappold, an international design engineering partnership from 2011 to 2016. He brings listed company CFO experience from a number of international businesses from 1999 to 2010. Prior to that he held senior finance roles in the global biopharmaceutical groups, GSK and Sanofi, and is a qualified Chartered Accountant. He has worked with private equity firms including Oaktree Capital on corporate transactions and has extensive experience working across international markets in sectors such as financial and professional services, real estate, transport, technology, retail, consumer goods and healthcare.

There are no other disclosures required under LR 9.6.13 in respect of these Board appointments.

 

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