Dialight Regulatory News (DIA)

28 May 2015

Dialight plc

Appointment of Group Chief Executive

Dialight plc, the UK-based market leader in LED lighting, is pleased to announce the appointment of Michael Sutsko as Group Chief Executive.

Michael, 46, joins the Board from Laird plc, where he was latterly President of the Performance Materials Division, one of Laird plc's two divisions with 2014 revenue of US$604 million.

Prior to Laird plc, Michael held positions at General Electric Advanced Materials, Halma plc, Porex Corporation and W.L. Gore & Associates. He holds an MBA from Widener University, Chester, USA and a BSc in Chemical Engineering from University of Pennsylvania.

Michael will join the Board of Dialight on 1 June 2015 and will be based in New Jersey, USA where a significant proportion of Dialight's operations are located. Richard Stuckes, who has been Dialight's Interim Group Chief Executive since 2 February 2015 will step down from the Board on 30 June 2015 following a handover to Michael.

The appointment of Michael Sutsko is the result of a global search process following the departure of Roy Burton due to ill health in March 2015.

Bill Ronald, Chairman of Dialight, commented:

"We are delighted to have appointed Michael. He has an impressive track record and is an excellent fit with the company. We believe that his skills and extensive US experience will be invaluable to Dialight as the company focuses on improving operational performance and delivering strong future growth. On behalf of the Board, I would like to thank Richard Stuckes for his significant contribution both as Interim Group Chief Executive and as a Non-Executive Director of Dialight since 2009. Richard recognised and recommended the need for a US based CEO and he leaves with our very best wishes."

Commenting on his appointment, Michael Sutsko said:

"I am very much looking forward to joining Dialight. Dialight is an exciting company and, with the adoption of LED lighting in the industrial and hazardous markets still at an early stage, the opportunity for growth is significant. I look forward to working with the Board and Dialight's talented people to lead the company in its next stage of development."

Contacts:

Dialight PLC

Bill Ronald - Chairman

+44 (0)20 3727 1340

FTI Consulting

Nick Hasell / Susanne Yule

+44 (0)20 3727 1340

There is no further information to be disclosed under paragraph 9.6.13 of the UK Listing Authority Listing Rules.

Michael Sutsko biography

Michael Sutsko joins Dialight from Laird, the UK listed global technology company. From 2012 to 2015 he was President of Laird plc's Performance Materials Division based initially in the UK and then in Hong Kong. Performance Materials, one of Laird's two divisions delivered 2014 revenue of US$604m (2013: US$536.2m) and operating profit of US$89.2m (2013: US$80.5m). Between 2008 and 2011, Michael was Senior Vice President/General Manager of Laird's Thermal Business Unit based in Cleveland, Ohio, USA.

Between 2004 and 2008, Michael worked at General Electric Advanced Materials in Ohio, first as New Platform Development Manager and latterly as Vice President, Marketing and Product Management.

Michael started his career in 1991 at W.L. Gore & Associates in Maryland, USA as a Process Engineer and in new product development before joining Porex Corporation in 1999 as a Business Unit Director. He joined Halma plc as Vice President, Sales and Marketing in Kentucky, USA in 2000.

Education

Master of Business Administration (MBA), Widener University, Chester, PA, USA (1999)

Master of Engineering, Chemical Engineering (ME ChE), Widener University, Chester, PA, USA (1999)

Bachelor of Science, Chemical Engineering, (BSE Che),University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA, (1991)

About Dialight plc 

The Group comprises the following business segments:

Lighting which addresses the increasing demands for Energy Efficient Lighting solutions for industrial/hazardous locations; Signals that covers Traffic, Transportation and Obstruction signals; and Components whose sales are primarily to Electronics OEMs for status indication. The company is headquartered in the UK with operating locations in Australia, Brazil, Denmark, Germany, Malaysia, Mexico, Singapore, UAE, the UK and the USA. More information is available at www.dialight.com.