Stobart Group announces John Garbutt and John Coombs to Board as Non-Executive Directors

– UK – Stobart is pleased to announce the appointment of John Garbutt and John Coombs to its Board as non-executive directors and Richard Butcher as an executive director with effect from 1 July 2014.  Paul Orchard-Lisle and Michael Kayser will be leaving the Board at the Group’s AGM on 26 June 2014 after many years of valuable service to the Group.

Richard Butcher joined the Group in February 1997 and leads its Estates and Energy businesses.  He will join the Board as an executive director with responsibility for the Group’s Infrastructure, Energy and Rail Divisions.  He also serves as Company Secretary and will be succeeded in that role, on his appointment to the Board, by Kate Willard who is deputy Company Secretary at present.  

John Garbutt obtained a BSc Econ Honours degree from the LSE and began his career with Rowe & Pitman. He subsequently worked at ICI, Touche Remnant and Schroders and became a Director at Kleinwort Benson in 1987. Between 1991 and 2013 he worked at HSBC in a variety of senior roles, most recently as Director, Global Head of Corporate Governance in the investment businesses.  John is a Justice of the Peace and an Alderman in the City of London and has had a wide range of charitable and civic appointments.

John Coombs is a Managing Director at Unilever Ventures where he has chaired the investment committee for the past 12 years.  He has served as a non-executive director or non-executive chairman on the boards of 12 investee companies.  John helped establish Unilever’s ventures business in 2001, having joined Unilever in 1981 following his graduation in Engineering Science from Oxford University, and went on to hold a wide range of senior positions.

Paul Orchard-Lisle joined the Board in May 2011.  He has chaired the Group’s Property Board since joining the Group and we are pleased that he will continue in that role.  Michael Kayser joined the Board in March 2008 and chairs the Audit Committee.  The Board is grateful for the significant contributions that Paul and Michael have made to the Group.

Iain Ferguson commented:  “I would like to thank Paul Orchard-Lisle and Michael Kayser, on the Group’s behalf, for their service to the Board.  I wish them well in the future and look forward to continuing to benefit from Paul’s Chairmanship of our Property Board.

We welcome John Coombs and John Garbutt to the Group and look forward to working with Richard in his new role.  Between them they bring significant commercial, financial and regulatory experience to the Board.”

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