Halma appoints interim safety sector chief as Simmons departs

Halma updated the market on the make-up of its executive board on Thursday, following the news that its safety sector chief executive Paul Simmons would be joining Hill & Smith as chief executive designate from 1 September.

The FTSE 100 company said Simmons would leave the firm at the end of July, with executive director Adam Meyers set to replace him on an interim basis as safety sector chief executive from 1 July, to ensure an orderly handover.

As a result, Meyers’ retirement from the Halma executive and plc boards, which had been expected in July, would now be deferred.

A permanent successor to Simmons would be announced in due course, the directors said.

“I would like to thank Paul for his contribution to the group over the last 10 years and to wish him success in his new role at Hill & Smith,” said group chief executive Andrew Williams.

“Adam's considerable experience and deep knowledge of Halma provides us with stability and continuity which will be valuable as we manage our businesses through the Covid-19 pandemic.”

At 0924 BST, shares in Halma were down 1.14% at 1,841.84p.