Directorate Change

RNS Number : 3564Q

Hornby PLC

06 November 2012

 



HORNBY PLC DIRECTORATE CHANGE

BOARD APPOINTMENT

The Board of Directors (the "Board") of Hornby PLC ("Hornby") is pleased to announce the appointment of Roger Canham as Non-executive Director and Chairman designate. Mr Canham will join the Board as Non-executive Director on 7 November 2012 and will succeed Neil Johnson as Chairman on 1 February 2013.   

Mr Canham has been Chairman of Phoenix Asset Management Partners Limited ("Phoenix") since 2009 and also owns and manages a number of property development companies. Prior to that, he was a Non-executive Director of Goshawk Insurance Holdings PLC from 2007 until the business was acquired in 2008, and a director of Brake Bros PLC, for a year following its acquisition of W. Pauley & Co Limited in 2002, which Mr Canham joined in 1990 and became Managing Director in 1996.

Although Phoenix currently holds 10.6% of Hornby's issued share capital, Mr Canham is not joining the Board of Hornby as an agent or representative of Phoenix and is not otherwise acting for or on behalf of Phoenix.  Hornby and Phoenix have entered into an agreement to regulate the relationship between them so as to avoid any conflicts of interest following the appointment of Mr Canham as Non-executive Director of Hornby.  Hornby has consulted with its major shareholders who are supportive of this appointment.

Commenting on the appointment Neil Johnson, Chairman, said:

" I am delighted that Roger has agreed to join the Board and to succeed me as Chairman after a three month handover period. Roger has extensive experience of innovation and profitable development of similar scale businesses to Hornby. He is well known and respected by a number of our major shareholders and is, I know, keen to become fully engaged in the business. Over the past decade, Hornby has been transformed from a two brand UK-centric business to a truly international company with a collection of valuable and iconic brands. It has been an exciting journey, and I wish my successor all the very best in his endeavours to further develop those assets whilst embracing the opportunities to be derived from new products, distribution channels, and technologies.

Finally, I should like formally to thank my Board colleagues, past and present, executive and non-executive, together with the entire Hornby team, for their loyalty, enthusiasm, hard work and support over many years."

Commenting on his appointment, Roger Canham said:

" I am very excited to be joining the team at Hornby, a business with a wonderful heritage and stable of fantastic brands. I would like to thank Neil for his contribution to the business and look forward to consolidating the transformation that the business has undergone whilst he has held the chair. There is no doubt that the business has faced some headwinds in the last few months but I am confident that the breadth and depth of the brands place Hornby in an excellent position to navigate through these challenges."

The Board would like to express its appreciation for the significant contribution that Neil Johnson has made to Hornby as Chairman.

- ends -

Date: 6^th November 2012

For further information contact:

Hornby Plc	City Profile
Frank Martin, Chief Executive Andrew Morris, Group Finance Director	Simon Courtenay Abigail Genis
01843-233500	020-7448-3244
Web: www.hornby.com

 

END

 

 

BOAUGGWAGUPPGCA