WH Smith Plc
SMWH:LN
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Overview
Company Profile
WH Smith PLC is a leading global travel retailer for news, books and convenience, with a smaller business located on UK high streets. At the heart of our business is our people and our customers. We aim to deliver our goals through our strategic priorities and initiatives by: constantly innovating, expanding globally, improving our profitability and delivering sustainable returns.
Classification
Financials
News & Media
Corporate
Board of Directors
Henry Staunton
Chairman
Henry Staunton joined the Board in September 2010. He has extensive finance, media and retail expertise. He is currently a Non-Executive Director of Capital and Counties Properties plc and was appointed Chairman of Phoenix Group Holdings in September 2015. Previously he was Finance Director of Granada and ITV.
Stephen Clarke
Chief Executive
Stephen Clarke was appointed Chief Executive on 1 July 2013. He joined WHSmith in August 2004 as Marketing Director for High Street Retail. In 2006 he was appointed Commercial and Marketing Director and in 2008 became Managing Director for High Street Retail. Stephen joined WHSmith from Argos where he had been Head of Product Marketing since 2001. His career began at the Dixons Group where he carried out a number of store, product and marketing roles.
Robert Moorhead
CFO and COO
Robert Moorhead was appointed Group Finance Director and joined the Board on 1 December 2008. He joined WH Smith PLC in 2004 as Finance Director - Retail. Previously, he was appointed Group Finance Director at Specsavers Optical Group in 2002, and Finance and IT Director of World Duty Free Europe Ltd in 2001. He held a number of roles at B&Q and Kingfisher Group which he joined in 1991. He started his career at Price Waterhouse.
Suzanne Baxter
Non-Executive Director
Suzanne Baxter is a non-executive director and joined the Board of WHSmith in February 2013. She is Chair of the Audit Committee. Suzanne is a Chartered Accountant and was appointed Group Finance Director of Mitie Group Plc in April 2006. She is Chair of the Business in the Community South West Strategic Advisory Board and Deputy Chair of the Council of British Services Association, a policy and research centre of excellence for the support services industry.
Annemarie Durbin
Non-Executive Director
Annemarie Durbin joined the Board in December 2012. Annemarie is Group Head, Independent Governance, Assurance; and Workplace at Standard Chartered. She has previously held senior roles in Wholesale Banking, including Head of Financial Institutions for Europe and Africa, and had global responsibility for the Development Organisation client segment. Annemarie has held Consumer Banking head roles in the Philippines and Thailand and has been Chief Executive Officer in both countries.
Drummond Hall
Non-Executive Director
Drummond Hall joined the Board in September 2008. He spent his early years with Procter and Gamble, Mars and PepsiCo, and from 2002 to 2006 was Chief Executive of Dairy Crest PLC. He is a Non-Executive Director of Taylor Nelson Sofres PLC, Sage Group PLC and FirstGroup PLC. Drummond is also the Senior Independent Director at FirstGroup PLC.
Ian Houghton
Company Secretary
Ian Houghton is Company Secretary and Director of Legal Services and joined the Company in June 1996. He qualified as a solicitor in October 1992 and immediately prior to joining WHSmith was employed as a solicitor by the RSPCA.