Directors, officers and advisers
Directors
Sir Malcolm Williamson*, 69, Chairman (since June 2006) appointed in 2005. He was President and Chief Executive Officer of Visa International between 1998 and 2004 before which he was Group Chief Executive of Standard Chartered PLC from 1993 to 1998. He is Chairman of National Australia Group Europe Limited (and a Principal Board member of National Australia Bank), CDC Group plc, Youth Business International Advisory Board and Deputy Chairman of Resolution PLC. He is also a non-executive director of JP Morgan Cazenove Holdings and G4S PLC, but he has indicated he will be retiring from this latter board at the end of May 2008, a member of the Board of Trustees for The Prince of Wales International Business Leaders Forum, and Chairman of the Cass Business School Strategy & Development Board.
Robert Anderson, 49, appointed in 2005. He became Chief Executive of the Group's UK division in January 2003 having joined the Group as Chief Operating Officer of the UK division in August 2000. Prior to joining the Group Mr. Anderson had worked at Marks & Spencer Plc for 19 years, latterly as Business Unit Director.
Robert Blanchard*, 63, appointed in 2000. He was a Group Vice President of Procter & Gamble and President of its Global Skin Care and Cosmetics business until his retirement in 1999. He was a non-executive director of Bandag Inc. until he retired from that board in May 2006. He was also a non-executive director of Best Buy Co. Inc. until June 2005.
Walker Boyd, 55, appointed Group Finance Director in 1995. He is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland. From 1992 he was Finance Director of the Group's UK division.
Terry Burman, 62, appointed Group Chief Executive in 2000. He was, until January 2006, also Chief Executive Officer of the Group's US division. Mr. Burman was appointed to the Board in 1996. Prior to joining the Group in 1995 he was Chief Executive Officer of Barrys Jewelers, Inc. Mr. Burman was appointed a non-executive director of Yankee Holding Corp. in October 2007.
Dale W. Hilpert*, 65, appointed in 2003. He was Chief Executive of Williams-Sonoma, Inc. from April 2001 until his retirement in January 2003. Prior to this he was Chairman and Chief Executive of Foot Locker, Inc. which he joined as President and Chief Operating Officer in 1995.
Lesley Knox*, 54, appointed in 2008. She is non-executive Chairman of Alliance Trust plc, a non-executive director of HMV plc and Hays plc. She is also a governor of the Museum of London. Ms Knox was, until January 2003, a founder director of British Linen Advisors Ltd, a specialist corporate finance advisor focusing on growth companies. Prior to that she was Corporate Finance Director, then Head of Institutional Asset Management at Kleinwort Benson Group.
Brook Land*, 59, appointed in 1995 and first elected to the Board in 1996. Until 1996 he was a senior partner of, and is now a consultant to, solicitors Nabarro. He is also non-executive Chairman of RPS Group plc. Mr. Land was nominated as the senior independent director of Signet in June 2002.
Mark Light, 47, appointed in January 2006. He became Chief Executive of the Group's US division in January 2006 having been President and Chief Operating Officer of the US division from 2002. He joined the Group in 1978.
Robert Walker*, 63, appointed in 2004. He is non-executive Chairman of WH Smith PLC and BCA Europe Holdings Limited and is a non-executive director of Tate & Lyle PLC and Williams Lea Holdings plc. He was Group Chief Executive of Severn Trent Plc, from August 2000 until his retirement in February 2005. Prior to this Mr. Walker had been a Division President of PepsiCo International and had previously worked for McKinsey and Company and Procter & Gamble.
Russell Walls*, 64, appointed in 2002. He was Group Finance Director of BAA plc until his retirement in August 2002 and was the senior independent director of Hilton Group plc until May 2003 and Stagecoach Group plc until August 2006. Mr. Walls is a non-executive director of Aviva plc, non-executive Chairman of Delphic Diagnostics Limited and Treasurer of the British Red Cross Society. He is a Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants. Following Mr. Land's retirement, Mr. Walls will assume the role of senior independent director.
Committees
Remuneration Committee: Robert Blanchard (Chairman), Dale Hilpert (with effect from 3 March 2008), Lesley Knox (with effect from 6 May 2008), Robert Walker, Russell Walls (until 3 March 2008) and Sir Malcolm Williamson.
Audit Committee: Russell Walls (Chairman), Dale Hilpert, Brook Land and Lesley Knox (with effect from 6 May 2008). Nomination and Corporate Governance Committee: Brook Land (Chairman), Robert Blanchard, Dale Hilpert (with effect from 3 March 2008), Russell Walls (with effect from 3 March 2008) and Sir Malcolm Williamson.
In accordance with the NYSE Listing Standards, the Board has extended the responsibilities of the Nomination Committee to include the consideration and recommendation of changes to corporate governance guidelines as appropriate.
The Articles specify that every director is required to retire at the annual general meeting in the third calendar year after they were last elected or re-elected. Similarly the Combined Code requires non-executive directors who have served longer than nine years, if they are to continue to serve, to do so subject to annual re-election. Such directors may, in these circumstances, seek re-election. Messrs. Anderson, Burman, Land, Walker and Ms. Knox will retire from the Board at the forthcoming annual general meeting. Following consideration of the recommendations of the Nomination and Corporate Governance Committee, other than Mr. Land who has indicated his intention to retire at the next annual general meeting, they offer themselves for re-election with the endorsement of the Board. Ms Knox seeks election, it being the first annual general meeting since her appointment.
*Non-executive directors, all of whom satisfied the definitions of independence in the revised UK Combined Code and are viewed as independent by the Board and have been affirmed by the Board as being 'independent' in accordance with NYSE Listing Standards.
Officers
Mark Jenkins, 50, Group Company Secretary, appointed in 2004. Previously he was a director and Company Secretary at COLT Telecom Group plc and Group Company Secretary at Peek plc. He is a barrister.
Liam O'Sullivan, 36, Group Treasurer, appointed in 2003. Previously he was Group Treasury Manager at Rank Group Plc. He is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales and a member of the Association of Corporate Treasurers.
No director or officer has any family relationship with any other director or officer.
Advisers
Auditor
KPMG Audit Plc,8 Salisbury Square, London EC4Y 8BB, United Kingdom.
Financial adviser
Lazard Brothers & Co. Limited,50 Stratton Street, London W1J 8LL, United Kingdom.
Stockbrokers
Deutsche Bank AG,Winchester House,
1 Great Winchester Street, London EC2N 2DB, United Kingdom.
JP Morgan Cazenove Ltd.,
20 Moorgate, London EC2R 6DA, United Kingdom.
UK lawyer
Herbert Smith LLP,Exchange House,
Primrose Street, London EC2A 2HS, United Kingdom.
US lawyer
Weil, Gotshal & Manges,One South Place, London EC2M 2WG, United Kingdom.
Principal bankers
Barclays Bank PLC,5 The North Colonnade, Canary Wharf, London E14 4BB,
United Kingdom.
HSBC Bank plc,
8 Canada Square, Canary Wharf, London E14 5HQ, United Kingdom.
Royal Bank of Scotland plc,
135 Bishopsgate, London EC2M 3UR, United Kingdom.
Wachovia Bank N.A.,
1 Plantation Place, 30 Fenchurch Street, London EC3M 3BD,
United Kingdom.
Registrar
Capita Registrars,The Registry,
34 Beckenham Road, Beckenham, Kent BR3 4TU, United Kingdom.