REG - Smiths News PLC - Board Changes

Smiths NewsAnnouncement

07/01/2025 07:00

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RNS Number : 2662S  Smiths News PLC  07 January 2025

7 January 2025

Smiths News PLC

("Smiths News" or "the Company")

 

Board Changes

 

Smiths News (LSE: SNWS), the UK's largest news wholesaler and a leading
provider of early morning end-to-end supply chain solutions, announces the
following Board changes.

 

The Company is pleased to announce that Manju Malhotra will join the Board as
an independent non-executive director and member of Smiths News' Audit,
Remuneration and Nominations Committees with effect from 16 January 2025.  Ms
Malhotra has extensive experience having held a number of senior financial and
operational roles, including Chief Financial Officer (2010-2017), Chief
Operations Officer (2018-2019) and Chief Executive Officer (2020-2023) at
Harvey Nichols Group Ltd.  She is currently a non-executive director and
chair of the Audit Committee at abrdn UK Smaller Companies Growth Trust PLC
and non-executive director and member of Audit Committee and chair of the ESG
Committee at Workspace Group PLC.  Ms Malhotra qualified as a Chartered
Accountant in 1998.

 

Mark Whiteling (Senior Independent Director and chair of the Audit Committee),
who joined the Smiths News board in September 2017, is expected to retire from
the Board by no later than the conclusion of the Annual General Meeting in
2027. It expected that Ms Malhotra (as chair-designate of the Audit Committee)
will succeed Mr Whiteling in due course.

 

Denise Collis, current independent non-executive director and Remuneration
Committee chair, has already announced her intention to step down from the
Board following the conclusion of her nine-year term with Smiths News at the
forthcoming Annual General Meeting, to be held on 16 January 2025.  Michael
Holt, current independent non-executive director and designated director for
colleague engagement, is to be appointed into the additional role of chair of
the Remuneration Committee.  Mr Holt has extensive commercial and operational
experience gained within the logistics and distribution industries having been
Chief Operating Officer of FedEx Express, Europe until the end of September
2018 and having held a number of other senior executive roles with FedEx
Corporation from 2006.

 

David Blackwood, Chair of Smiths News, commented:

 

"I am delighted to announce the appointment of Manju to the Smiths News Board
and Michael's extended role as Remuneration Committee chair.

 

"Manju brings strong cross-sectoral experience and extensive commercial and
financial expertise, which further complements the Board's existing skills and
capabilities.  Her appointment as Audit Committee chair-designate also
provides an assured succession plan for Mark Whiteling and I look forward to
working with her.

 

"I would like to extend mine and the Board's sincere gratitude to Denise for
her significant contribution to the Board over the past nine years. Her
oversight, guidance and judgement have contributed greatly to the overall
success of the Company during both her time on the Board and as chair of the
Remuneration Committee.

 

"Michael has been a member of the Board and Remuneration Committee since 2018,
and I know his experience to date will stand him in good stead to take over as
chair."

 

The Company confirms that there is no further information about Ms Malhotra
requiring disclosure under paragraph 6.4.8R (2) to (6) of the FCA UK Listing
Rules.

 

 

For further information, please contact:

 

 Smiths News PLC                                                        via Vigo Consulting

 Jonathan Bunting, Chief Executive Officer

 Paul Baker, Chief Financial Officer

 www.smithsnews.co.uk (http://www.smithsnews.co.uk)

 Vigo Consulting                                                        Tel: +44 (0) 20 7390 0230

 Jeremy Garcia / Fiona Hetherington / Verity Snow

 smithsnews@vigoconsulting.com (mailto:smithsnews@vigoconsulting.com)

 

About Smiths News

 

For over 200 years, Smiths News has been delivering newspapers to retailers
across the UK. It distributes newspapers and magazines on behalf of the major
national and regional publishers, delivering to approximately 22,500 customers
across England and Wales on a daily basis. The speed of turnaround and the
density of Smiths News' coverage is critical to one of the world's fastest
physical supply chains.

 

For more information, please visit: www.smithsnews.co.uk
(http://www.smithsnews.co.uk)

 

 

Person responsible for arranging release of this announcement:

Stuart Marriner, General Counsel & Company Secretary

Smiths News plc, Rowan House, Cherry Orchard North, Kembrey Park, Swindon SN2
8UH

Email: cosec@smithsnews.co.uk (mailto:cosec@smithsnews.co.uk)

 

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