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(Alliance News) - Smith & Nephew PLC on Friday appointed former Serco Group PLC chief executive Rupert Soames as its new chair.
Soames will be appointed as an independent non-executive director at the company's annual general meeting on April 26, and will succeed Roberto Quarta as chair from September 15.
Smith & Nephew said Quarta has agreed to continue as chair to ensure a "smooth transition" and will put himself forward for re-election as a non-executive director on this basis.
Quarta joined the London-based portfolio medical technology company in 2013 as chair.
Smith & Nephew said Soames has "extensive global leadership experience in both executive and non-executive roles."
Most recently, Soames spent eight years as chief executive officer of Serco Group PLC. Serco is a FTSE 250-listed Hampshire-based outsourcer.
Between 2014 and 2022, Soames was CEO of support services company Aggreko PLC.
Senior Independent Director Marc Owen said: "The board conducted an extensive search for a new Chair and we are delighted to welcome Rupert to the board. We believe that Rupert's extensive track record of value creation in global companies and deep understanding of corporate governance will help Deepak Nath and his team deliver on their existing plans to grow the business and to improve its operational performance."
By Sophie Rose, Alliance News reporter
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