Board changes

RNS Number : 6772G

Watkin Jones plc

31 March 2022

 

For immediate release

31 March 2022

Watkin Jones plc

('Watkin Jones' or the 'Group')

Board changes

Watkin Jones plc (AIM:WJG) is pleased to announce the appointment of Rachel Addison as a non-executive director with effect from 1 April 2022.  On joining the Board, Rachel will become a member of the Audit, Remuneration and Nomination Committees.

Rachel was Chief Financial Officer of Future plc, the listed global platform business for specialist media, until 2021.  Prior to this, she was Chief Financial Officer of TI Media Limited and held various senior financial, operational and board-level roles at Trinity Mirror (now Reach) Regionals, Local World Limited, Northcliffe Media Limited and Boots the Chemist where she was Head of Risk Management.  Rachel qualified as a chartered accountant at Arthur Anderson.

Rachel is a non-executive director of Marlowe plc, the business-critical services and software provider, Hyve Group plc, an in-person and digital international B2B events business, and Mango Publishing Group, an independent book publisher.  She is chair of the Audit Committee at Marlowe plc and chair of the Remuneration Committee at Hyve Group plc.

Simon Laffin has indicated his desire to retire from the Board and it is envisaged that he will step down on 1 August 2022.  Upon his retirement, Rachel will take up the role of Chair of the Audit Committee.

Alan Giddins, Chair of Watkin Jones, commented:

"On behalf of the Board I am delighted to welcome Rachel to Watkin Jones.  Rachel has strong financial, operational management and Board experience, and I believe this will add considerable value to the Group.

"I would also like to thank Simon for his huge contribution to the success of Watkin Jones.  Simon joined the Board at the time of the IPO in 2016 and has been instrumental in enhancing the Group's governance framework following its transition to a public company."

For further information:

Watkin Jones plc
Richard Simpson, Chief Executive Officer	Tel: [phone]
Sarah Sergeant, Chief Financial Officer Peel Hunt LLP (Nominated Adviser & Joint Corporate Broker)	Tel: [phone]
Mike Bell / Ed Allsopp	www.peelhunt.com
Jefferies Hoare Govett (Joint Corporate Broker)	Tel: [phone]
Max Jones / James Umbers	www.jefferies.com

Media enquiries:

Buchanan
Henry Harrison-Topham / Steph Whitmore [e-mail]	Tel: [phone] www.buchanan.uk.com

Disclosures required by Schedule 2(g) of the AIM Rules for Companies:

Rachel Bernadette Addison Horsley, aged 51, holds or has previously held the following directorships in the last five years:

Current appointments		Appointments held within the last five years
Addison Horsley Limited		Ascent Publishing Limited
Hyve Group PLC		Barcroft Media Limited
Mango Publishing Group		Barcroft Productions Limited
Marlowe PLC		Barcroft Studios Limited
		Broadleaf Bidco Limited
		Broadleaf Holdco Limited
		Broadleaf Midco Limited
		Broadleaf Newco 2 Limited
		Business Energy Online Limited
		C. Arthur Pearson Limited
		CHAT Publications Limited
		Collection and Litigation Services International Limited
		Collective Europe Ltd
		Country Life Limited
		Dennis Interactive Limited
		Dennis Publishing Limited
		Energylinx for Business Limited
		Energylinx for Business Trading Limited
		Energylinx Limited
		Euphoria Holdings Limited
		European Magazines Limited
		Evarn Limited
		Ex TRL Limited
		First Post Newsgroup IPR Limited
		Future Holdings 2002 Limited
		Future plc
		Future Publishing (Overseas) Limited
		Future Publishing Holdings Limited
		Future Publishing Limited
		Future UK Finance Limited
		Future US Inc.
		George Newnes Limited
		GIO Compario Limited
		Go Compare Limited
		Goco Group Limited
		Goco Limited
		Gocompare.com Finance Limited
		Gocompare.com Limited
		I Feel Good (Holdings) Limited
		Independent Television Books Limited
		Independent Television Publications Limited
		International Craft & Hobby Fair Limited
		IPC Holdings Limited
		IPC Magazines (Overseas) Limited
		Look after my bills Ltd
		Magazine Publishing Company Ltd (The)
		Magazine Publishing Holdings Limited (The)
		Mareve Limited
		Marketforce (U.K.) Limited
		Mousebreaker Limited
		Mozo Pty. Ltd
		New Music Limited
		New Musical Express Limited
		Newbay Media Europe Limited
		Newbay Media UK Holdco Limited
		Odhams Press Limited
		Options Magazine Limited
		Persuasion Limited
		Portrait Magazine Limited
		Sapphire Bidco Limited
		Sapphire Holdco Limited
		Sapphire Midco Limited
		Sapphire Topco Limited
		Sarracenia Limited
		The Essentials Publishing Company Limited
		The Global Voucher Group Limited
		The Week Limited
		The Yachting Monthly Limited
		This is the Big Deal Limited
		Three PM Limited
		TI Media Limited
		Time Inc. (UK) Property Investments Limited
		UK Cycling Events Limited
		W.H.& L.Collingridge Limited

There is no other information that is required to be disclosed pursuant to Schedule 2 paragraph (g) or Rule 17 of the AIM Rules for Companies in respect of Rachel Addison.

Notes to Editors

Watkin Jones is the UK's leading developer and manager of residential for rent, with a focus on the build to rent, student accommodation and affordable housing sectors. The Group has strong relationships with institutional investors, and a reputation for successful, on-time-delivery of high quality developments.  Since 1999, Watkin Jones has delivered 46,000 student beds across 136 sites, making it a key player and leader in the UK purpose-built student accommodation market, and is increasingly expanding its operations into the build to rent sector.  In addition, Fresh, the Group's specialist accommodation management business, manages over 22,000 student beds and build to rent apartments on behalf of its institutional clients.  Watkin Jones has also been responsible for over 80 residential developments, ranging from starter homes to executive housing and apartments.

The Group's competitive advantage lies in its experienced management team and capital-light business model, which enables it to offer an end-to-end solution for investors, delivered entirely in-house with minimal reliance on third parties, across the entire life cycle of an asset.

Watkin Jones was admitted to trading on AIM in March 2016 with the ticker WJG.L.  For additional information please visit www.watkinjonesplc.com

 

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