Mr Connolly will also chair the board’s nomination committee. 

Until May 2011, John had spent his career with Deloitte, the world’s largest professional services firm. Highlights of his Deloitte career:

• Global Chairman 2007 – 2011
• Global Managing Partner 2003 – 2007
• Senior Partner and CEO of the UK Partnership 1999 – 2011
• Senior Advisory Partner on a range of the firm’s largest clients
• Prior to taking on senior leadership roles, John’s background was in Corporate Finance

John led the transformation of Deloitte in the UK, moving the firm from being the smallest of the major firms to becoming the leading firm in the market. This involved a large number of transactions, the most important of which was the acquisition of Arthur Andersen.

Since June 2011 John has been chairman of FTSE100 consulting engineering and services company AMEC plc, and has been a special adviser to Deloitte. He is also chairman of, and an investor in, a number of private companies.

Beyond commercial business roles, John is chairman of The Centre for Children’s Rare Disease Research at Great Ormond Street Hospital, is on the board of London Business School, a member of the Strategic Advisory Council of CityUK, member of the IBLF Leaders Council, chairman of the “Chairman’s Group” of London 2012 sponsors, a member of the Advisory Boards of the Mayor of London and the Mayor of Rome and a member of the British American Business International Advisory Board.

Apart from criticism in 1995 by the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales of his part in Touche Ross’ role as reporting accountants for a firm connected with Barlow Clowes in 1985/6, there is no further information required to be disclosed under paragraph 9.6.13R of the Listing Rules.