Directorate Changes

RNS Number : 7781X

Experian plc

16 January 2014

 



news release

Directorate Changes

16 January 2014 ─ On 1 May 2013, Experian, the global information services company, announced that Sir John Peace had notified the Company of his intention to step down as Chairman and as a Director of Experian plc by the 2014 Annual General Meeting ("AGM") of the Company.

Following a search process, and on the recommendation of the Board's Nomination & Corporate Governance Committee chaired by Sir Alan Rudge, Deputy Chairman & Senior Independent Director, and following consultation with the Company's largest shareholders, the Board announces the following appointments, effective from the conclusion of the Company's AGM on 16 July 2014:

- Don Robert, Chief Executive Officer, will be appointed Chairman and will succeed Sir John Peace.

- Brian Cassin, Chief Financial Officer, will be appointed as Chief Executive Officer and will succeed Don Robert.

A process, involving external search consultants, to identify and appoint a new Chief Financial Officer has commenced and it will be an external appointment.

George Rose, currently an independent Non-Executive Director, will become Deputy Chairman & Senior Independent Director, succeeding Sir Alan Rudge, who will retire from the Board by the AGM on 16 July 2014, as previously announced.

Sir John Peace said:

"Experian is a unique and successful company which I have had the privilege to lead for many years. The Nomination & Corporate Governance Committee, together with the Board more widely, has focused extremely hard on securing the best possible succession plan to ensure continuing success for Experian in the future."

Sir Alan Rudge added:

"We focused on making sure that the Company will continue to benefit from valuable continuity within the senior leadership of the business into the medium term as well as maintaining the team-based culture. We also set out to ensure that the Board continues to have strong representation of independent Non-Executive Directors. We believe that the appointments of Don Robert, Brian Cassin and George Rose today, combined with the very capable and experienced existing Board members and those to come in the near future, will ensure continuing success for the Company in future years."

Selection of new Chairman

The Nomination & Corporate Governance Committee has undertaken an extensive search process, with the assistance of external consultants, to identify the best possible candidate for the role of Chairman. This process has been led by the Company's Deputy Chairman & Senior Independent Director, Sir Alan Rudge. The process included the identification of key criteria required for the role of Chairman, followed by the detailed assessment of a broad range of external and internal candidates.

The Nomination & Corporate Governance Committee, having considered external and internal candidates and having undertaken a rigorous process, came to the conclusion that Don Robert was the outstanding candidate for this position and recommended his appointment to the Board.  Above all, the Board believes that the Company will derive substantial benefit from ensuring the continuity of the senior leadership team into the medium term, and maximise the likelihood of preserving the Company's unique and successful culture. The appointment also provides the additional significant benefit of strong existing knowledge of Experian, a key consideration given the highly complex and unique nature of the business. The Board has, as a result, unanimously approved his appointment.

Appointment of Independent Non-Executive Directors

The Board has also determined that, in addition to the appointment of George Rose as Deputy Chairman & Senior Independent Director, it intends to appoint two further independent Non-Executive Directors to strengthen the Board.

Selection of new Chief Executive Officer

The appointment of Brian Cassin also follows an extensive assessment process using external consultants. The Board has concluded that Brian Cassin is the outstanding candidate for the role of Chief Executive Officer. In making this decision the Board took into consideration his exemplary performance as Chief Financial Officer over the past two years, during which the Board considers he has evidenced a broad range of operational competencies including clear leadership and strong decisive management skills, coupled with deep commercial acumen and a firm grasp of strategy.

Contact:

Experian

Nadia Ridout-Jamieson          Director of Investor Relations       [phone]

James Russell                        Director of Corporate Communications

RLM Finsbury

Rollo Head                                                                                    [phone]

Jenny Davey

About Experian 

Experian is the leading global information services company, providing data and analytical tools to clients around the world. The Group helps businesses to manage credit risk, prevent fraud, target marketing offers and automate decision making. Experian also helps individuals to check their credit report and credit score, and protect against identity theft.

Experian plc is listed on the London Stock Exchange (EXPN) and is a constituent of the FTSE 100 index. Total revenue for the year ended 31 March 2013 was US$4.7 billion. Experian employs approximately 17,000 people in 40 countries and has its corporate headquarters in Dublin, Ireland, with operational headquarters in Nottingham, UK; California, US; and São Paulo, Brazil.
For more information, visit http://www.experianplc.com.

 

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