Smith+Nephew (NYSE:SNN) announced that it appointed Rupert Soames OBE to succeed Roberto Quarta as chair of the company.
Quarta reached the end of his tenure and intends to retire as chair and non-executive director this year.
London-based Smith+Nephew plans to appoint Soames as an independent non-executive director at its annual meeting on April 26. His appointment remains subject to shareholder approval and should take effect on Sept. 15, 2023. Quarta agreed to continue as chair to ensure a smooth transition. He also intends to put himself up for re-election as a non-executive director on April 26 on this basis.
Soames joins Smith+Nephew after serving as CEO of Serco Group, an outsourced services provider. He held that role between 2014 and 2022.
Prior to Serco, Soams held the corner office at Aggreko from 2003 to 2014. He served as non-executive independent director at both DS Smith and Electrocomponents. Upon his joining the board, Smith+Nephew plans to appoint Soames to its nomination and governance committee and its remuneration committee.
Marc Owen, senior independent director, highlighted Soames’ “extensive track record of value creation,” as part of the reason Smith+Nephew brought him on board.
“Smith+Nephew is a leader in the medical technology sector with a 167-year history of supporting patients to return to health,” Soames said. “I am honored to be the next chair of the board, and look forward to working with Deepak, the Smith+Nephew organization and the board to deliver on Smith+Nephew’s great potential.”