Hays Regulatory News (HAS)

12 July 2017

DIRECTORATE CHANGE

Hays plc (the Company), the leading global specialist recruitment company, is pleased to announce that Andy Martin and Susan Murray joined the Board as independent Non-Executive Directors on 12 July 2017, and became members of the Audit, Remuneration and Nomination Committees on appointment.

The Company further announces that Paul Harrison, Senior Independent Director, and Pippa Wicks, Non-Executive Director, will not be offering themselves for re-election at the Company's Annual General Meeting in November 2017 after serving on the Board for ten years and six years respectively and will step down from the Board at that time. It is proposed that following the Company's 2017 AGM Andy Martin will succeed Paul Harrison as Senior Independent Director and Susan Murray will succeed Paul as Chair of the Company's Remuneration Committee.

Andy Martin, a Chartered Accountant, was, until 2015, Group Chief Operating Officer, Europe and Japan, for Compass Group plc, having previously been their Group Finance Director from 2004 to 2012. Before joining Compass Group, Andy was Group Finance Director at First Choice Holidays plc and prior to that held a number of Senior Finance roles at Granada Group plc, having trained as an accountant at Peat Marwick before moving to Arthur Andersen where he became a partner.

Since 2011 Andy has been a Non-Executive Director of easyJet plc, Chairing their IT Governance and Oversight Committee and Finance Committee, and, since 2016 has been a Non-Executive Director at Intertek Group plc, and since 2017 has been Chair of their Audit Committee.

Susan Murray has been a Non-Executive Director of Grafton Group plc since 2016, where she also chairs their Remuneration Committee. From 2007 to 2017, Susan served as a Non-Executive Director of Compass Group plc; and from 2004 to 2014 she was a Non-Executive Director of Imperial Tobacco Group (now Imperial Brands plc) and Enterprise Inns (now EI Group plc), chairing the Remuneration Committee of the latter from 2009 to 2014 and being a member of the former's Remuneration Committee throughout her tenure.

Previously, Susan has held directorships at Wm Morrison, SSL International plc, the Advertising Standards Authority and Aberdeen Asset Management plc. Susan's executive career was spent in consumer goods and retail, with organisations such as Colgate Palmolive, Kraft, Duracell and Diageo and, most recently, as CEO of Littlewoods Stores.

Alan Thomson, Chairman of Hays plc, commenting on the changes to the Board, said:

"I am delighted to welcome Andy and Susan to our Board. They have a wealth of experience across an impressive portfolio of executive and non-executive positions and the Board look forward to their input in shaping the next chapter of Hays' future.

"In addition, I would like to extend my thanks, and those of the Board, to Paul and Pippa for their significant contribution to the Company during their years of service."

The Company confirms that there is no further information about Andy Martin or Susan Murray requiring disclosure under paragraph 9.6.13 (1) to (6) of the Listing Rules of the UK Listing Authority.