Smiths announces appointment of new Chairman

Smiths Group plc is delighted to announce the appointment of Sir George Buckley as its Chairman, effective from the close of its Annual General Meeting on 19 November 2013. He succeeds Donald Brydon whose planned retirement was announced last year. Sir George will join the Smiths Board on 1 August 2013 as a non-executive director and Deputy Chairman and a member of the Nomination and Remuneration committees. This will allow an orderly transition and thorough induction process.

Sir George, 66, retired last year as Chairman and CEO of 3M, the US-based global technology company and Dow 30 component, after a long and successful business career spent mainly in the United States.  He was previously Chairman and CEO of Brunswick Corporation and Chief Technology Officer at Emerson Electric Company.

A citizen of both the UK and US, Sir George has a Ph.D. in electrical engineering. He currently holds a number of non-executive positions at major international companies, including Hitachi and PepsiCo.  He is also chairman of Amsterdam-based fund manager Ownership Capital and of Arle Capital, a London-based private equity group. He was knighted in 2011 for his services to industry.

Donald Brydon said: “I am delighted that Smiths Group has been able to attract someone of the calibre of Sir George as my successor. The Board and company as a whole will benefit greatly from his expertise in engineering and innovation and his unparalleled experience of multi-industry businesses that operate in global markets.”

Information required under LR6.9.13R

Sir George is currently a director of the following publicly quoted companies: Pepsico Inc, Stanley Black & Decker Inc. and of Archer Daniels Midlands Company (all listed on the New York Stock Exchange) and Hitachi, Limited (listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange). During the last five years, he was formerly a director of 3M Company (listed on the New York Stock Exchange). Sir George will retire from the Board of Archer Daniel Midlands Company on August 1.   There is no other information concerning Sir George which requires notification under LR 9.6.13 R of the Listing Rules of the UK Listing Authority.