New Board Appointments

RNS Number : 9513J

Babcock International Group PLC

09 April 2010

 



9 April 2010

Babcock International Group PLC

New Board Appointments

Babcock International Group PLC ("the Company" or "the Group") today announces the appointment of two new executive directors to its Board, Mr Archie Bethel and Mr Kevin Thomas.  The appointments will take effect on 1 May 2010.

Archie Bethel, CBE has been with the Group since January 2004, throughout which time he has led the Group's marine business. As an executive director he will continue in the role of Chief Executive of Babcock's  Marine Division.  Archie is a Chartered Mechanical Engineer and a graduate of the University of Strathclyde (BSc, MBA and DSc) and in 2003 was elected a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering.

Kevin Thomas joined the Group when it acquired the SGI business in June 2002. Between 2002 and 2006 he led the Infrastructure Services business and from 2006 to 2010 served as Group Business Development Director.  On the Board he will have overall responsibility for the Company's Infrastructure Services, Defence Services, Civil Nuclear and Rail businesses as Chief Executive of Babcock's  Support Services Division.

Mike Turner, Chairman, commented "I am very pleased to welcome Archie and Kevin to the Board; they have served the Company loyally and well in its development and fully merit these positions.  The appointments reflect the continuing growth of Babcock and recognise the need to widen the executive director base on the Board so that it can benefit directly from the first hand knowledge and experience of those close to day-to-day operations.  At the same time, the appointments will enable the Chief Executive, Peter Rogers, and the Finance Director, Bill Tame, to focus their attention on the wider strategic development of the Group and, in particular, the successful integration of VT Group plc into Babcock if shareholders of both companies agree to the recommended acquisition of VT Group announced on 23rd March 2010.  We will also now be looking to appoint at least one new non-executive director in order to restore and maintain an appropriate Board balance going forward."

Each of Mr Bethel and Mr Thomas are directors of the International Nuclear Solutions plc, now a subsidiary of the Company. They were appointed to its board on 20 August 2007 at a time when it was an AIM quoted company.  It ceased to be so in February 2009.  Save for this, there is no other information to disclose in respect of Mr Bethel and Mr Thomas under Rule 9.6.13R of the Listing Rules.

Enquiries

Babcock International Group PLC                                                      020 7355 5300

Peter Rogers

Terri Wright

FD                                                                                                             020 7269 7291

Andrew Lorenz

Sophie Kernon

 

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