28th Sep 2007 07:01
BTG PLC28 September 2007 BTG plc Board Changes London, UK, 28 September 2007: BTG plc (LSE: BGC), the life sciences company,today announces the following Board changes. Professor Colin Blakemore and Giles Kerr are joining the Board as non-executivedirectors, effective from 1 October 2007. Fred Weiss, who has been a non-executive director since 2001 and is Chairman ofthe Audit Committee, will retire from the Board in November after publication ofthe Group's interim results when Giles Kerr will succeed him as Chairman of theAudit Committee. Sir Brian Fender, a non-executive director of BTG since 1992 and Chairman sinceJuly 2003, will retire from the Board during 2008. A search is under way for hissuccessor. Sir Brian Fender commented: "I am delighted that Colin Blakemore and Giles Kerr are joining BTG's Board.Colin's scientific and medical background, and his extensive network ofcontacts, will be of great benefit to the organisation. Giles's industry andfinancial experience make him an ideal addition to the Board and a suitablyskilled audit committee chairman to replace Fred Weiss, whose wise counsel andpositive contributions to the company have been invaluable. "Having served more than four years as Chairman and seen the Company establishedin the life sciences, it is time to plan for my succession. I am confident thatBTG will attract a high-calibre individual to take over as Chairman and lead theGroup through its next phases of growth." Colin Blakemore, FMedSci, Hon FIBiol, Hon FRCP, FRS has been a Professor in theMedical School at Oxford University since 1979. He was Chief Executive Officerof the Medical Research Council from 2003 to 2007, and from 1996-2003 he wasDirector of the MRC Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience at Oxford. He is a pastPresident of the British Neuroscience Association, the Physiological Society,the Biosciences Federation and the British Association for the Advancement ofScience. Professor Blakemore studied Medical Sciences at Cambridge and completeda PhD at the University of California in Berkeley. Giles Kerr has been Director of Finance of Oxford University since 2005 and is afellow of Keble College, Oxford. He is a non-executive director of ElanCorporation and Victrex plc. From 1990-2004 he held a number of positions withAmersham PLC within finance and corporate development, culminating in his roleas Group Finance Director from 1997-2004. From 1981-1990 he was an auditor andNational Partner with Arthur Anderson & Co. A chartered accountant, Mr Kerrholds a degree in Economics from the University of York. There are no further details to be disclosed in relation to paragraph 9.6.13R ofthe Financial Services Authority Listing Rules. Ends For further information contact: BTG Financial DynamicsAndy Burrows, Director of Investor Relations Ben Atwell+44 (0)20 7575 1741; mobile: +44 (0)7990 530605 +44 (0)20 7831 3113 Christine Soden, Chief Financial Officer+44 (0)20 7575 1591 About BTG BTG in-licenses, develops and commercialises pharmaceuticals and other medicaltechnologies. With a substantial and growing revenue stream of royalties andmilestone payments from out-licensed products, BTG continues to strengthen itspipeline of preclinical and clinical development programmes. Active in thefields of oncology, diseases of ageing, neuroscience, drug repositioning andmedical devices, BTG works from its offices in London, Philadelphia and Osakawith a global partner network of healthcare companies and researchorganisations. For further information, visit: www.btgplc.com. This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock ExchangeRelated Shares:
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