Animalcare Grp Regulatory News (ANCR)

Animalcare Group plc

("Animalcare" or the "Group")

Directorate change

Animalcare Group plc announces that Stephen Wildridge is stepping down from the position of Group CEO and will leave the Group by the end of October 2013. Dr. Iain Menneer, currently Managing Director of Animalcare Ltd, will take over as Group CEO with immediate effect.

Until October Stephen will remain with the business as Director of Strategy and Business Development driving forward Animalcare's key product development programmes and assisting Iain with implementing the overall strategy for the Group. Stephen will continue as a board director of the Group until October 2013.

Since joining Animalcare in 2003 Stephen has been the architect of the Group's successful development into one of the leading UK animal health companies. He leaves the business in a strong and healthy position well placed for its continued development and the Board would like to record its thanks to Stephen for all of his hard work and endeavour.

Iain Menneer is ideally qualified to assume the role of CEO, having joined Animalcare Ltd in December 2003 since when he has held marketing and business development roles; notably working on the product development pipeline. Iain was promoted to the Board as Director of Marketing on 1st July 2011 and subsequently appointed Managing Director of Animalcare Limited on 12th March 2012.

The trading update issued separately today confirms that the business is performing strongly and is on track to meet market expectations. In addition the Group recently announced the resumption of the sale of its important product Buprecare single dose ampoules.

Stephen Wildridge commented, "Taking Animalcare from a non-core business within a larger group to a successful independent publically quoted company has been extremely enjoyable. Iain has been intimately involved in that success from the beginning and is eminently qualified and experienced to take Animalcare forward in the future."

James Lambert, Chairman of Animalcare, commented, "Stephen was appointed Managing Director of Animalcare Ltd in April 2003. He developed and established the strategy for the business and managed its successful implementation. Whilst we will miss Stephen's experience he leaves the Group in a strong position and with a proven, capable successor in Iain Menneer to take over as CEO to continue to build our business."