SNWS Smiths News Plc

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:

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

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