600 Group board and management changes announced

David Norman (55) has extensive experience of managing international manufacturing operations. Between 1986 and 1997 he held a number of senior managerial positions within Hanson PLC, most recently, between 1996 and 1997, as managing director of its electrical division. He participated in the subsequent MBO of that business, renamed Electrium, and remained as a main board director until the end of 2000. From early 2001 to 2007 Mr Norman was a divisional managing director at Saia-Burgess AG, a fully listed Swiss engineering concern, subsequently acquired by Johnson Electric, a Hong Kong based multinational. He has more recently been involved in a number of project based operational roles. In addition David Richardson has been appointed managing director, Machine Tools Division to co-ordinate the sales and operations of this, the major part of the 600 Group. Mr Richardson’s engineering career spans 26 years, his most recent role being that of managing director of Mettler Toledo Safeline Limited. David will report directly into the Group chief executive.