Business
Appointment of Non-Executive Director
hVIVO plc has appointed Richard Cotton as an Independent Non-Executive Director, effective immediately, who will also chair the Audit Committee. Cotton brings extensive financial and life sciences board-level experience, having previously served as CFO for Dechra Pharmaceuticals plc and Consort Medical plc. His appointment is expected to enhance the Board's capabilities as the company focuses on strategic opportunities and delivering shareholder value. Disclaimer*
About this update from Hvivo Plc
hVIVO plc ("hVIVO", the "Company" or the "Group") hVIVO strengthens Board with appointment of Richard Cotton as Non-Executive Director Seasoned life sciences executive with extensive Board and financial expertise hVIVO plc (AIM: HVO), a full-service early phase Contract Research Organisation (CRO) and the world leader in human challenge clinical trials , announces the appointment of Richard Cotton as Independent Non-Executive Director, effective today. Richard will also serve as Chair of the Audit Committee and as a member of the Remuneration and Nominations Committees. Richard brings extensive Board-level and financial expertise, including experience serving as Chair, Audit Chair and Senior Independent Director, as well as holding advisory and senior financial leadership roles across the life sciences and other sectors. Richard currently serves as Audit Chair and Lead Independent Director at Nasdaq-listed AI predictive diagnostics company Spectral AI and is Senior Independent Director and Audit Committee Chair at AIM-listed topical oxygen wound therapy company AOTI. He is also Financial Adviser at Novumgen, a privately owned Specialty Pharmaceuticals company, and NED at Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. His prior executive roles include highly successful tenures as CFO at FTSE150 animal health company Dechra Pharmaceuticals plc, and as CFO at medical device and drug formulation business Consort Medical plc. A Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants, Mr Cotton holds a BA (Hons) in Business Studies from Kingston University. Shaun Chilton, Non-Executive Chair of hVIVO plc, said: " We welcome Richard to the Board of hVIVO. His extensive financial, operational and governance expertise, combined with his life sciences experience will significantly enhance the Board's capabilities as we focus on the strategic opportunities open to the Company and delivering long-term shareholder value." Richard Cotton, Incoming Non-Executive Director of hVIVO plc, said: "I am excited to be able to contribute my experience and expertise to support hVIVO's growth. The Company is at an exciting phase with the foundation of a global leading position in human challenge trials with an increasingly diversified service offering, a robust pipeline and strong fundamentals. I look forward to working closely with the Board and leadership team." Additional Information on the Board Appointment The following additional information is provided with regards to the appointment of Richard John Cotton, aged 64, in accordance with Rule 17 and Schedule 2(g) of the AIM Rules for Companies: Current directorships/partnerships: Former directorships/partnerships (within the last five years): Aoti, Inc Spectral MD Holdings Ltd Sherwood Forest NHS Foundation Trust Spectral AI Inc Spectral IP Inc Spectral MD UK Limited On 24 June 2005, Mr Cotton was appointed as director of Wagon Services Limited and subsequently resigned as a director on 31 October 2008. Wagon Services Limited entered administration on 8 December 2008 as a result of a downturn in trading caused by the global economic conditions at that time and was subsequently dissolved on 28 February 2010. Mr Cotton was a director of a number of former dormant subsidiaries of McLeod Russel plc which were liquidated as part of a corporate reorganisation following its acquisition by SPX Corp. The companies were dissolved by creditors voluntary liquidation on the dates shown below: Company Name Date dissolved Air Filter Products Ltd 14 September 2005 Beck & Frost Ltd 14 September 2005 Buchanan's Warehouse Ltd 09 November 2005 CRC Air Filters Ltd 09 November 2005 Granyte Paints Ltd 04 November 2005 Hedgeferry Ltd 09 November 2005 Ideas Telecom Ltd 09 November 2005 Hole Holdings Ltd 30 December 2007 Irwell Leasing Ltd 13 September 2005 Jeffes Engineering Ltd 13 September 2005 Joseph Mason Paints Ltd 09 November 2005 Joseph Mason Paints (Scotland) Ltd 10 September 2005 Kennedy Industrial Textiles (1990) Ltd 10 September 2005 Kennedy Smale PLC 08 November 2005 Perfection Products Ltd 08 November 2005 R&M Knotting Machinery Ltd 09 November 2005 Seasafe Ltd 13 September 2005 Seldon (Air Conditioning) Ltd 15 September 2005 Warren PS Ltd 14 November 2005 Wheway Becker Ltd 13 September 2005 Wheway Distribution Ltd 15 September 2005 Wheway Network Systems Ltd 14 September 2005 Wheway (Old Hill) Ltd 15 September 2005 Airflow Construction Ltd 30 December 2007 Blackwall Warehousing Ltd 09 January 2008 Coroless International Ltd 09 January 2008 Filter Supply and Manufacturing Company Ltd 09 January 2008 Granyte Surface Coating (Southern) Ltd 09 January 2008 H Sharp & Son Ltd 30 December 2007 Joseph Mason Ltd 09 January 2008 Joseph Shakespeare & Co Ltd 30 December 2007 NESW2 Ltd 30 December 2007 NESW3 Ltd 30 December 2007 NESW6 Ltd 30 December 2007 NESW1 Ltd 30 December 2007 NESW5 Ltd 30 December 2007 Heat, Insulation & Ventilation Co. Ltd 09 January 2008 Methworth Ltd 30 December 2007 WPH Papua New Guinea Plantations Ltd 09 January 2008 Premium Coatings Ltd 09 January 2008 Seldon Refrigeration Ltd 09 January 2008 Wheway Corporate Services Ltd 09 January 2008 Wheway Secretarial Services Ltd 09 January 2008 Wilson Filters Ltd 09 January 2008 Mr Cotton does not hold any shares or options in the Company. There are no further disclosures required under Rule 17 and Schedule 2(g) of the AIM Rules for Companies. For further information please contact: hVIVO plc +44 (0)20 7756 1300 Yamin 'Mo' Khan, Chief Executive Officer Stephen Pinkerton, Chief Financial Officer Cavendish Capital Markets Limited (Nominated Adviser and Joint Broker) +44 (0)20 7220 0500 Geoff Nash, Callum Davidson Trisyia Jamaludin, Harriet Ward Nigel Birks - Life Science Specialist Sales Louise Talbot - Sales Peel Hunt LLP (Joint Broker) +44 (0)20 7418 8900 James Steel, Dr Christopher Golden Davy (Joint Broker) +353 (0) 1 679 6363 Anthony Farrell, Niall Gilchrist ICR Healthcare (Financial PR & IR) Mary-Jane Elliott / Stephanie Cuthbert / Phillip Marriage/ Louis Ashe-Jepson [email protected] Notes to Editors hVIVO plc (Ticker: HVO) is full-service Contract Research Organisation (CRO) and the global leader in human challenge trials. The company delivers end-to-end clinical development services to a diverse and expanding client base, including seven of the world's ten largest biopharma companies. hVIVO specialises in conducting human challenge trials across multiple infectious and respiratory indications, leveraging its state-of-the-art quarantine facility in London-the largest of its kind worldwide. The company also offers comprehensive virology and immunology laboratory services under the hLAB brand. Through its German subsidiary, CRS , hVIVO operates a 120-bed capacity across Mannheim and Kiel, providing early-phase clinical trial services, including first-in-human and proof-of-concept studies. Its second subsidiary, Venn Life Sciences , offers Early Drug Development Consulting and Biometry services to the biopharma sector. The Group provides fully integrated drug development solutions from preclinical stages through Phase II trials, alongside patient recruitment via FluCamp . Additionally, its five clinical sites support outpatient Phase II and III trials, ensuring a seamless and efficient pathway from discovery to late-stage development.