Jamie Boot to step down as chairman of Henry Boot after more than 40 years of service

Henry Boot has announced that Jamie Boot, the company's chairman, will be retiring from his role and from the board on 26 May 2022, following the company's AGM.

Jamie Boot joined the company in 1979 and was appointed to the board in 1985. He was group managing director from 1986 to 2015 and was appointed non-executive chairman in January 2016.

In a statement, Henry Boot said: "Everyone at the group would like to thank Jamie for his significant contribution to the company and wish him well in his deserved retirement.

"After undertaking a considered selection process to determine succession, the group is delighted to announce that current non-executive director, Peter Mawson, will be appointed as chair.

"Peter has been a member of the board since 2015 and will continue to drive Henry Boot's commitment to achieving high governance standards and following best practice, whilst ensuring that stakeholder engagement remains a key priority. Peter's previous roles include Group CEO of Donaldson LLP and CEO & Accounting Officer of the West Northamptonshire Development Corporation."

"Peter will also be retaining his role as the chair of the Nomination and Responsible Business Committees, the latter being in the short term prior to the appointment of a new independent Non-executive Director later in 2022. The Nomination Committee, supported by an external recruitment partner, has already started the process to recruit."

"As a consequence of Peter's changing role, the senior independent director position will be assumed by Joanne Lake. The board has taken the decision to retire the role of Deputy Chair, which was previously held by Joanne, as it is not considered to be usual for a company of this nature."

Tim Roberts, Chief Executive Officer commented: "The board, and the entire team at Henry Boot want to thank Jamie for his outstanding contribution over, by any standards, a remarkable period of time. On a personal note, it has been a real pleasure working with Jamie and I am thankful of his leadership and support. At the same time, we are all pleased that Peter has taken the role of Chair and we look forward to the next exciting phase of the Henry Boot journey under his chairmanship.'

Jamie Boot, incumbent chairman commented: 'It's been a privilege to chair Henry Boot, and with the group in such a strong position, I feel that it is the appropriate time for me to hand over the reins. I am absolutely confident that Peter will carry on with this good work and I look forward to remaining a committed long-term shareholder.'

Peter Mawson, Chair designate commented: 'I am absolutely delighted to be following Jamie in the role of Chair. Jamie will be a very difficult act to follow but I am determined to maintain his legacy of building a very powerful, successful and responsible business. Jamie is stepping down leaving the Group in an exceptional position, going from strength to strength in all of its key markets.'