DS Smith Plc has confirmed the appointment of Geoff Drabble to the Company’s Board as Chairman Designate and a Non-Executive Director with effect from 1 September 2020. His election will be put to the September 2020 AGM for approval in the normal manner and he will succeed Gareth Davis as Chairman on 3 January 2021 when, as previously announced, David will retire from the Board.
Drabble (pictured left) served for 12 years as Chief Executive of Ashtead Group plc, the FTSE 100 industrial equipment rental company. He was previously an executive director of The Laird Group plc and held a number of senior management positions at Black & Decker. He is also Non-Executive Chairman of Ferguson plc and a Non-Executive Director of Howden Joinery Group Plc.
Commenting on the appointment, Rupert Soames, Senior Independent Director, said, “We are delighted to welcome Geoff to the Board of DS Smith. He is the ideal candidate bringing a wealth of both industrial and international experience and I look forward to working with him on the DS Smith Board.”
Drabble said, “It is a great privilege to be asked to serve as Chairman of DS Smith. The business has undergone a significant transformation into a leading provider of sustainable packaging in Europe and North America, working with some of the world’s leading companies. I am excited about the opportunities ahead and I look forward to working with Miles and the whole DS Smith team.”
Miles Roberts, Group Chief Executive said, “On behalf of the Board and personally, I would like to thank Gareth for the enormous contribution he has made to DS Smith. He has been an excellent Chairman and has been instrumental in the successful development of the business over the last decade. We wish him all the best for when he steps down next January.”
Davis concluded, “It has been an honour to serve as DS Smith’s Chairman during a really exciting stage of the Group’s development. I would like to take this opportunity to thank my fellow Board members, the leadership team and, above all, our incredible colleagues for their passion, commitment and hard work which have been instrumental to our success.”
