Directors & Officers
Directors
James McAdam CBE
Robert Anderson
Robert Blanchard
Walker Boyd
Terry Burman
Dale W. Hilpert
Brook Land
Mark Light
Robert Walker
Russell Walls
Malcolm Williamson
Committees
Remuneration
Audit
Nomination
Officers
Mark Jenkins
Liam O’Sullivan
Directors
James McAdam CBE, 75, Chairman, appointed in 1992. He was also Group Chief Executive from 1992 until March 2000. From 31 March 2001, while continuing as Chairman, he ceased to be a full-time executive. Mr. McAdam is the non-executive Chairman of Bisley Office Equipment Company Limited, Chairman of the British Clothing
Industry Association Limited and Chairman of the British Apparel & Textile Confederation; he devotes approximately 25% of his time to these latter roles. Mr. McAdam has indicated his intention to retire from the Board at the conclusion of the annual general meeting in 2006.
Robert Anderson, 47, appointed in 2005. He became Chief Executive of the Group’s UK division in January 2003 having joined the Group as Chief Operating Officer of the UK division in August 2000. Prior to joining the Group Mr. Anderson had worked at Marks & Spencer Plc for 19 years, latterly as Business Unit Director.
Robert Blanchard*, 61, appointed in 2000. He was a Group Vice President of Procter & Gamble and President of its Global Skin Care and Cosmetics business until his retirement in 1999. He is a nonexecutive director of Bandag Inc. but has indicated that he will be retiring from that board in May 2006. He was also a non-executive director of Best Buy Co. Inc. until he retired from that board in June 2005.
Walker Boyd, 53, appointed Group Finance Director in 1995. He is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland. From 1992 he was Finance Director of the Group’s UK division.
Terry Burman, 60, appointed Group Chief Executive in 2000. He was, until January 2006, also Chief Executive Officer of the Group’s US division. Mr. Burman was appointed to the Board in 1996. Prior to joining the Group in 1995 he was Chief Executive Officer of
Barry’s Jewelers, Inc.
Dale W. Hilpert*, 63, appointed in 2003. He was Chief Executive of Williams-Sonoma, Inc. from April 2001 until his retirement in January 2003. Prior to this he was Chairman and Chief Executive of Foot Locker, Inc. which he joined as President and Chief Operating Officer in 1995.
Brook Land*, 57, appointed in 1995 and first elected to the Board in 1996. Until 1996 he was a senior partner of, and is now a consultant to, solicitors Nabarro Nathanson. He is also non-executive Chairman of RPS Group plc and Medal Entertainment & Media plc. Mr. Land was nominated as the Senior Independent Director of Signet in June 2002.
Mark Light, 44, appointed in January 2006. He became Chief Executive of the Group’s US division in January 2006 having been President and Chief Operating Officer of the US division from 2002. He joined the Group in 1978.
Robert Walker*, 61, appointed in 2004. He was Group Chief Executive of Severn Trent Plc, from August 2000 until his retirement in February 2005. Prior to this Mr. Walker had been a Division President of PepsiCo International and had previously worked for
McKinsey and Company and Procter & Gamble. He is non-executive Chairman of WH Smith PLC and a non-executive director of Wolseley Plc, Tate & Lyle PLC and Williams Lea Group Limited. He is also an adviser to Cinven.
Russell Walls*, 62, appointed in 2002. He was Group Finance Director of BAA plc until his retirement in August 2002 and was the senior independent director of Hilton Group plc until May 2003. Mr. Walls is the senior independent director of Stagecoach Group plc
and a non-executive director of Aviva plc and non-executive Chairman of Delphic Europe Limited. He is a Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants.
Malcolm Williamson*, 67, appointed in November 2005. He was President and CEO of Visa International between 1998 and 2004 before which he was Group Chief Executive of Standard Chartered PLC from 1993 to 1998. He is Chairman of National Australia Group
Europe Limited (and the Principal Board member of National Australia Bank), CDC Group plc, Youth Business International Advisory Board and Deputy Chairman of Resolution PLC. He is also a non-executive director of JP Morgan Cazenove Holdings and Group 4 Securicor PLC. Subject to shareholders electing Mr.Williamson as a director at the annual general meeting in 2006, the Board has appointed him as Chairman with effect from the conclusion of that annual general meeting.
*Non-executive directors, all of whom satisfied the definitions of independence in the revised Combined Code (“the Combined Code”) and are viewed as independent by the Board.
Committees
Remuneration Robert Blanchard (Chairman), Russell Walls and Robert Walker (the latter with effect from 1 March 2005).
Audit Russell Walls (Chairman), Dale Hilpert and Brook Land.
Nomination Brook Land (Chairman), Robert Blanchard, James McAdam and Malcolm Williamson (the latter with effect from 4 April 2006).
Under the Company’s Articles of Association, directors appointed by the Board since the last annual general meeting, either to fill a vacancy or as an additional director, must retire at the next annual general meeting.
The Articles also specify that every director is required to retire at the annual general meeting in the third calendar year after he was last elected or re-elected, except for directors over the age of 70 who are required to retire at every annual general meeting. Similarly the Combined Code requires non-executive directors who have served
longer than nine years; if they are to continue to serve, to do so subject to annual re-election. Such directors may, in these
Messrs. Land, Light, McAdam, Walls and Williamson retire from the Board at the forthcoming annual general meeting. Following consideration by the Board of the recommendations of the Nomination Committee, other than Mr. McAdam who is not offering himself for re-election, the others do so.
Officers
Mark Jenkins, 48, Group Company Secretary, appointed in 2004. Previously he was a director and Company Secretary at COLT Telecom Group plc and Group Company Secretary at Peek plc. He is a barrister.
Liam O’Sullivan, 34, Group Treasurer, appointed 2003. Previously he was Group Treasury Manager at Rank Group Plc. He is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales and a member of the Association of Corporate Treasurers.
No director or officer has any family relationship with any other
director or officer.