Ilika plc
("Ilika" or the "Company")
Directorate Changes
Ilika (AIM: IKA), the accelerated materials innovation company, announces the appointment of Keith Jackson as Non-Executive Director effective January 2015, and the beginning of succession planning for the role of non-Executive Chairman. Current Non-Executive Chairman Jack Boyer, has indicated to the Board that after 10 years in the position, he intends to stand down from his role.
Jack Boyer - Non-Executive Chairman
Jack Boyer, having recently celebrated a decade of successful leadership as Non-Executive Chairman of Ilika, will be stepping down from the board. Jack announced his intention to stand down at a time when the share price has reached historic highs following the achievement of a series of significant milestones in the Company's development. Ilika's Senior Independent Director, Professor Sir William Wakeham, has been appointed to lead the succession process.
Jack Boyer commented: "I have greatly enjoyed my tenure at Ilika but it is good governance practice to rotate board appointments and this is a timely opportunity to conduct a thorough search process and effect an orderly handover to support the future development of the Company."
Commenting on this announcement, Graeme Purdy, CEO added: "Jack's contribution to the team over the past ten years has been first class. He has helped to steer the Company through three rounds of venture finance, its IPO in 2010 and contributed to the progress that has resulted in substantial share price growth since flotation. We respect his decision to move on to other challenges having contributed extensively to the development of Ilika from University spin-out to a globally-respected commercial organisation."
Keith Jackson - appointment as Non-Executive
In a further move to strengthen the Board, Keith Jackson will be appointed as an additional Non-Executive Director to Ilika's board effective January 2015. Keith is currently the Chief Technology Officer at Meggitt plc, the FTSE 100 engineering group, where he is responsible for technology direction and strategy. Keith was previously Chief Technology Officer of Electrical power and control systems at Rolls Royce, having been owner and Managing Director of Pi Technology, which was acquired by Ford.
Keith brings considerable expertise in the industrial commercialisation of control systems to Ilika at a time when the Company is preparing for the roll out of its solid state battery technology for wireless sensor networks. He offers a combination of valuable experience in growing entrepreneurial ventures (Pi Technology) and developing complex systems for industrial deployment (Meggitt and Rolls Royce).
On Keith's appointment, Graeme Purdy, Ilika's CEO, commented: "This is a very exciting period for Ilika as a number of the materials we have been developing become commercially mature. Ilika's board has always played an important role in setting strategic direction and we have appointed Keith to strengthen our technology commercialisation experience."
For more information contact:
| Ilika plc | www.ilika.com |
| Graeme Purdy, Chief Executive | Tel: 023 8011 1400 |
| Steve Boydell, Finance Director | |
| Numis Securities Limited | Tel: 020 7260 1000 |
| Oliver Cardigan, Nominated Adviser | |
| James Black, Corporate Broking | |
| Walbrook PR Ltd | Tel: 020 7933 8780 / ilika@walbrookpr.com |
| Paul McManus | Mob: 07980 541 893 |
| Paul Cornelius | Mob: 07827 879 460 |
Regulatory disclosures
Keith Jackson, (age 54) has not been a director or partner of a company or partnership during the previous five years.
Keith Jackson, holds no shares in the Company and there is no further information to be disclosed under Schedule Two, paragraph (g) and Rule 17 of the AIM Rules Companies.
This information is provided by RNS