APPOINTMENT OF NON- EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Embargoed until 0700 29 October 2014

Ultra Electronics Holdings plc

("Ultra" or "the Group")

APPOINTMENT OF NON- EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Ultra is pleased to announce that John Hirst CBE has been appointed to the Board of Ultra as a Non-Executive Director with effect from 1 January 2015. The intention is that he will succeed Chris Bailey as the Chair of the Audit Committee following the Annual General Meeting (AGM) in April 2015. Chris will retire from the Board at the AGM following ten years of service as a Non-Executive Director of Ultra.

John Hirst qualified as a Chartered Accountant and is an experienced leader of large global private and public sector organisations. Most recently he was Chief Executive of the UK Met Office for seven years until his retirement in September 2014. During his time with the Met Office, John led the organisation to greater operational and strategic success, serving a wide variety of customers across the Government and the private sector in the UK and internationally. From 1998 to 2005, he was Chief Executive of Premier Farnell where he oversaw the financial and operational restructuring, re-branding and re-positioning of the company's major businesses. Prior to this, John spent 19 years with ICI plc, during which he held a number of senior appointments, including Group Treasurer and Chief Executive of two of ICI's Global businesses.

John has been a non-executive director of a FTSE100 company and an AIM company; he served for ten years as a Non-Executive Director of Hammerson, where he was also Chairman of the Audit Committee.

Douglas Caster, Chairman, commented:

"I am delighted to welcome John onto the Board of Ultra. John's broad and relevant experience will be valuable to the Board and I am confident that he will make a substantial contribution to Ultra's continuing success. I would like to thank Chris for his ten years of service to the Group and wish him well in his retirement"

This announcement is made in accordance with paragraph 9.6.11 of the Listing Rules. There are no details to be disclosed under paragraph 9.6.13 (2) to (6) of the Listing Rules.

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Enquiries:

Rakesh Sharma, Chief Executive 020 8813 4307

Mary Waldner, Group Finance Director

Susan Ellis, Corporate Affairs Director 07836 522 722

James White, MHP Communications 020 3128 8756

www.ultra-electronics.com 

Further information about Ultra:

Ultra Electronics is a group of businesses which manage a portfolio of specialist capabilities, generating highly differentiated solutions and products in the defence & aerospace, security & cyber, transport and energy markets by applying electronic and software technologies in demanding and critical environments to meet customer needs

Ultra has world-leading positions in many of its specialist capabilities and, as an independent, non-threatening partner, is able to support all of the main prime contractors in its sectors. As a result of such positioning, Ultra's systems, equipment or services are often mission or safety-critical to the successful operation of the platform to which they contribute. In turn, this mission-criticality secures Ultra's positions for the long term which underpins the superior financial performance of the Group.

Ultra offers support to its customers through the design, delivery and support phases of a programme. Ultra businesses have a high degree of operational autonomy where the local management teams are empowered to devise and implement competitive strategies that reflect their expertise in their specific niches. The Group has a small head office and executive team that provide to the individual businesses the same agile, responsive support that they provide to customers as well as formulating Ultra's overarching, corporate strategy.

Across the Group's three divisions, the major market sectors in which Ultra operates are:

Defence: Ultra supplies advanced electronic and electrical systems and equipment to coalition defence forces around the world. The Group innovates to provide battle-winning, specialist capabilities that are tailored to the customer's need and environment. Ultra has world-class capabilities in sonar systems, command & control, platform electrics, surveillance systems and network communications solutions.

Security: Ultra provides highly differentiated systems and capabilities to the broad security, intelligence and cyber market. Ultra has highly specialised capabilities in secure communications, networks and cryptographic equipment, key management systems and surveillance systems and intelligence gathering systems.

Transport: Ultra provides specialist software, systems and equipment for use in mass passenger transport systems. This includes high integrity real-time controls for civil aircraft, advanced IT solutions for modern airports and trackside power equipment for transit rail systems.

Energy: Ultra has a range of safety critical sensors and controls used in existing and new build nuclear reactors. The Group has innovative portable energy sources powered by readily available propane gas.