Johnston Press PLC Regulatory News (JPR)

26 April 2016

JOHNSTON PRESS PLC

Board Changes

Johnston Press plc (the "Company"), one of the leading local media groups in the UK, announces that Mike Butterworth will join the Board as a Non-Executive Director of the Company with effect from 1 June 2016 and will become chairman of the Audit Committee when Mark Pain steps down from the Board later this year. Mark joined the board in 2009 and is currently a member of the Company's Remuneration and Nomination Committees, as well as chairing the Audit Committee. 

A chartered accountant, Mike has extensive financial experience having worked in various finance roles, both in an executive and non-executive capacity, for a number of public companies. Since August 2010, he has been a non-executive director and Chairman of the Audit Committee of St Ives plc, the international marketing services group, and in November 2012 he was appointed Senior Independent Director. For eight years he was Group Finance Director of Cookson Group plc a FTSE 250 international materials science company, until December 2012 when Cookson was de-merged. Mike was also a director of Alent plc, one of the two businesses demerged from Cookson Group plc, from January to March 2013. Previously, he was Group Finance Director of Incepta Group plc (an international marketing and communications group) for five years, prior to which he spent five years as Group Financial Controller at BBA Group plc, the international aviation and materials technology group.

Ian Russell, Chairman of Johnston Press, commented:

"I am delighted to welcome Mike Butterworth to the Board. Mike has extensive relevant experience and I am confident that his knowledge and perspective will add significant value to our business.I would like to thank Mark Pain for his commitment to the Company over the past seven years. The Board and the Executives have benefitted enormously from his work as Audit Committee chairman and more generally from his consistently wise counsel."

There is no further information required to be disclosed under paragraph 9.6.13R of the Listing Rules of the Financial Conduct Authority relating to Mr Butterworth's appointment.

For further information please contact:

Johnston Press

Peter McCall

+44 (0) 131 311 7500

Bell Pottinger

Dan de Belder / Zoë Pocock

+44 (0) 20 3772 2574