Smiths Group plc (LON:SMIN) has announced that, following a comprehensive selection process, and as part of its orderly succession planning activities, Steve Williams will be appointed as Chair of the Board. This is subject to his election as a non-executive Director at the Company’s Annual General Meeting (‘AGM’) to be held on 16 November 2023. Sir George Buckley will retire from the Board of the Company at the conclusion of the AGM. In advance of Steve taking on the Chair, he will be appointed to the Board as an independent non-executive Director and Chair Designate on 1 September 2023.
With over 40 years of global business experience, Steve is currently the Chair of Alcoa Corporation, (NYSE: AA) and a non-executive director of Enbridge Inc (TSX: ENB). Steve was an executive at Suncor Energy for 17 years across a number of senior roles including CEO, CFO, and COO. Born in the UK, with a degree in engineering, Steve spent the first 18 years of his career at ExxonMobil in the UK in a variety of commercial, operational, and technical roles. Steve brings a clear focus on ESG and has a strong track record of creating value for customers, shareholders, employees, and communities as both an executive and a non-executive director.
Sir George Buckley, Chair, said: “I am pleased to welcome Steve to the Board of Smiths, and I wish him, the Company, and our people every future success. It has been a privilege to serve as Chair, and I look forward to watching this special company continue to flourish in the future.”
Steve Williams, Chair Designate, said: “It is an honour to be joining Smiths’ Board and to be appointed as its next Chair. Smiths is an exciting and iconic business. I look forward to working with Paul, Clare and the rest of the Board to help deliver on our strategic goals of growth, execution and people, enabling Smiths to reach our significant potential.”
Paul Keel, Chief Executive Officer, said: “As a global business headquartered in the UK, we are pleased that Steve shares our British heritage and global outlook. I thank George for his many contributions to Smiths and look forward to working with Steve to build on our strong momentum.”
