Board Changes

Cookson Group PLC
15 June 2004


15 June 2004


COOKSON GROUP ANNOUNCES BOARD CHANGES


Nick Salmon appointed as Group Chief Executive

Cookson Group plc, the leading international materials technology company,
announces the appointment of Mr. Nick Salmon as Group Chief Executive, with
effect from 19 July 2004.

Mr. Salmon, 52, has extensive corporate and commercial experience, having held
leadership positions within major international organisations over many years.
He has spent a major part of his career at Alstom SA, the global energy and
transport infrastructure group, and at Babcock International plc, the
engineering services group, where he was Chief Executive from 1993 to 1997.

Most recently, from 2001 until March of this year he was Executive Vice
President of Alstom SA which at its peak had revenues of €23bn and employed
118,000 people in over 70 countries.  As a member of the three-person Executive
Central Management team alongside the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer and
the Chief Financial Officer, his responsibilities included strategy, mergers and
acquisitions, communications and the worldwide marketing and sales network.

From 1997 to 2001 Mr. Salmon was Executive Vice President of ABB Alstom Power, a
€10bn revenue business with 55,000 employees, and President of Alstom's Energy
Sector, a €4bn revenue business with 25,000 employees.

During his tenure as Chief Executive of Babcock International plc from 1993 to
1997, he led a major restructuring exercise, resulting in the repositioning of
Babcock as a focused support services company.  He was responsible for the sale
of Babcock Energy to Mitsui Corporation and for the acquisitions of the Rosyth
Royal Dockyards and the British Rail maintenance businesses.

Prior to joining Babcock, he held senior management positions at GEC and GEC
Alsthom in the UK and France, and previously spent eleven years with China Light
& Power Co. Ltd in Hong Kong.

A summary of Mr. Salmon's career history is set out in the Notes to Editors.

On 5 May 2004, Cookson announced that Stephen Howard intended to relinquish the
role of Group Chief Executive, after the identification and appointment of a
successor.   Mr. Howard will step down as Chief Executive on 19 July, and will
continue as an executive Director to assist with the transition of
responsibilities.  He will leave the company at the end of the year.

Bob Beeston, Chairman of Cookson, said:

'Nick Salmon brings all the attributes that we are seeking for the role of Chief
Executive, and we are delighted to welcome him to Cookson.  He has very
extensive international experience at a corporate and strategic level, as well
as on the operational front.  He has good first hand experience of the
Asia-Pacific region, our most important growth market, and he has established a
reputation as an excellent leader of people.

'After three years of very difficult trading, Cookson is now clearly and firmly
on the recovery path, and we are delighted that Nick will be leading the company
in the next stage of its development.

'For the fact that Cookson is now in excellent competitive shape, Stephen Howard
must take considerable credit.  We are very grateful to him for his significant
contribution to Cookson over many years, seven of them as Group Chief Executive.
On behalf of the Board, I wish him well in the future.'


Jan Pieter Oosterveld appointed as Non-executive Director

Cookson Group plc also announces the appointment of Mr. Jan Pieter Oosterveld as
a Non-executive Director, with immediate effect.

Mr. Oosterveld spent his career at Royal Philips Electronics, one of the world's
largest electronics companies.  Until his retirement in March of this year, he
was a member of the Group Management Committee with responsibility for corporate
strategy, corporate alliances, CEO of Philips Asia Pacific, Chairman of the
Board of Directors of LG.Philips LCD Seoul, South Korea and Vice-Chairman of the
Supervisory Board of LG.Philips Displays NV, Hong Kong.

Prior to that, he held a series of senior operational management roles, latterly
as one of the Managing Directors of the Components Division and General Manager
of the 'Key Modules' Business Group.  He also held responsibility for
manufacturing and research and development in the Video Recorders Business Group
of the Consumer Electronics Division.

Mr. Oosterveld is a Non-executive Director of Continental AG, the German
automotive systems and components supplier, Crucell N.V., the Dutch
biotechnology company, Barco N.V., the Belgian display systems company and Atos
Origin S.A., the French-based IT services provider.

Bob Beeston, Chairman of Cookson, said:

'Jan Oosterveld is an immensely experienced executive who has held a number of
senior roles within one of the world's largest electronics multinational groups.

'He has extensive experience in Asia which will be of particular benefit to
Cookson.  In his last role as head of Corporate Strategy he was the architect of
the refocusing and revitalisation of Philips and this, together with his
previous responsibility for research and development, means that he will bring
an excellent set of strategic skills to the Board.

'I am delighted that he has agreed to join the Board.'

There are no other disclosures required in respect of either Mr. Salmon or Mr.
Oosterveld under paragraph 6.F.2 (b) to (g) of the Listing Rules.


Shareholder/analyst enquiries:               Robert Beeston, Chairman
                                             020 7061 6500

Media enquiries:                             John Olsen, Hogarth Partnership
                                             020 7357 9477


Notes to Editors


About Cookson Group

Cookson Group is a leading materials technology company which provides
materials, processes and services to customers worldwide. The Group's operations
are formed into three divisions - Electronics, Ceramics and Precious Metals. The
Electronics division is a leading manufacturer and supplier of materials and
services to the electronics industry, primarily serving fabricators and
assemblers of printed circuit boards, assemblers of semiconductor packaging and
the electrical and industrial markets. The Ceramics division is the world leader
in the supply of advanced flow control and refractory products and systems to
the iron and steel industry and is also a leading supplier of refractory lining
materials for iron and steelmaking and other industrial processes. The Precious
Metals division is a leading supplier to the jewellery industry of fabricated
precious metals products.

Headquartered in London, Cookson employs over 15,600 people in more than 35
countries and sells its products in over 100 countries.


Nick Salmon - Career History

 2001 - 2004:          ALSTOM SA (Paris)
                       Executive Vice President
 1999 - 2001:          ABB ALSTOM Power (Brussels)
                       Executive Vice President
 1997 - 1999:          Alstom SA (Paris)
                       President, Energy Sector
 1993 - 1997:          Babcock International Group Plc (UK)
                       Chief Executive
 1988 - 1993:          GEC & GEC ALSTHOM (UK & France)
                       GM, Power Station Projects Division
                       Deputy MD, Power Plants Division
                       Deputy MD, Gas Turbine & Diesel Division
 1977 - 1988:          China Light & Power Ltd (Hong Kong)
                       Project Manager, Generation Projects
 1973 - 1978:          Central Electricity Generating Board (UK)
                       Project Engineer


                      This information is provided by RNS
            The company news service from the London Stock Exchange