VLS.L Regulatory News (VLS)

31 Oct 2007 07:01

Oxford Catalysts Group PLC31 October 2007 31 October 2007 OXFORD CATALYSTS GROUP PLC ("Oxford Catalysts" or "the Company") Appointment of Chief Financial Officer Oxford Catalysts, the leading catalyst innovator for clean fuels, is pleased toannounce that it has appointed Susan Robertson, FCA as Chief Financial Officer("CFO"), with immediate effect. Susan joins Oxford Catalysts following seventeen years at The BOC Group (nowLinde Group). From its inception in 2003 until 2006, Susan was Vice Presidentand CFO of Japan Air Gases (JAG), then a £700m turnover joint venture owned byThe BOC Group and Air Liquide. At JAG, Susan helped to successfully integrate the two founding JV companies,realising £25m p.a. of synergies, whilst identifying and managing the sale ofnon-core assets. She also created and managed a new high performing financefunction comprising 38 staff, at the same time reducing costs by 30%. During her time at JAG, Susan presided over a significant rise in shareholderreturn achieved through improved profitability, increased dividends and therestructuring of equity capital to debt financing. Susan's previous experience with BOC includes finance, commercial and businessdevelopment roles in the UK, globally and at head office. She trained as achartered accountant with Arthur Andersen and has an economics degree fromCambridge University. As CFO, Susan will be functionally replacing Paul Barnes who has served aspart-time Finance Director since the Group's admission to AIM in April 2006.Paul will be stepping down from the Board after a suitable handover period. Commenting on her appointment, Susan Robertson said: "I'm excited to be joining this dynamic organisation with such a bright future.I look forward to using my financial and industry experience to help OxfordCatalysts continue its rapid growth in revenue and accelerate towardsprofitability." Commenting on the appointment, Roy Lipski, Chief Executive of Oxford Catalystssaid: "I am thrilled to welcome Susan Robertson to the team as full time CFO. Susanhas substantial financial and commercial experience gained in a multi-nationalblue-chip environment, within a relevant industry area. We look forward to herplaying a pivotal role in the continued development, growth and success ofOxford Catalysts." - Ends - For further information, please contact: Roy Lipski, CEO, Oxford Catalysts 01235 841 700Susan Robertson, CFO, Oxford Catalysts 01235 841 700Jonathan Marren, KBC Peel Hunt (Nomad and Broker) 020 7418 8990Billy Clegg / Jonathon Brill, Financial Dynamics 020 7831 3113 Notes to Editors Oxford Catalysts Group PLC, the leading catalyst innovator for clean fuels,designs and develops specialty catalysts for the generation of clean fuels fromboth conventional fossil fuels and certain renewable sources such as biomass.Its patent-pending technology is the result of almost 20 years of research atthe University of Oxford's prestigious Wolfson Catalysis Centre, headed byProfessor Malcolm Green, one of the world's most respected inorganic chemists.Oxford Catalysts was founded by Professor Green and Dr Xiao in October 2004 andwas admitted to trading on the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange on 26thApril 2006, having raised £15m before expenses from a solid base ofinstitutional investors. Oxford Catalysts' strategy is to license its catalysts for commercialapplication by entering into co-development partnerships with leadingmanufacturers, producers and suppliers in the petroleum, petrochemicals, fuelcells, biogas, steam applications and catalysis markets. Oxford Catalysts has two key platform technologies. The first is for a novelclass of catalysts made from metal carbides which, for certain reactions, canmatch or exceed the benefits of traditional precious metal catalysts at a lowercost. Applications of these metal-carbide catalysts include the removal ofsulphur from crude oil fractions (known as hydro-desulphurisation or HDS), theconversion of natural gas or coal into virtually sulphur-free liquid fuels viathe Fischer-Tropsch reaction (known as the GTL and CTL processes respectively),and the transformation of biogas (waste methane) into syngas - the buildingblock of liquid fuels. The second platform relates to chemical reactions involving a liquid containinga renewable fuel, such as methanol, ethanol or glycerol, and dilute hydrogenperoxide. The company's novel catalyst can be used to release hydrogen gas fromthis liquid, instantaneously starting from room temperature. This groundbreakingInstant Hydrogen technology has the potential to significantly accelerate thecommercial adoption of fuel cells in the portable and other mobile markets, byproviding the much needed source of cheap, safe, transportable hydrogen. Another of the company's catalysts can be used to produce steam at temperaturesbetween 100 degrees C and 800 degrees C+ instantaneously starting from roomtemperature, from a liquid fuel containing dilute hydrogen peroxide and eitheran alcohol, sugar, glycerol, starch or formic acid. Such Instant Steam couldhave important applications in a broad range of markets, from cleaning anddisinfecting, to green energy in the form of motive power or electricity. www.oxfordcatalysts.com This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange