Exscientia plc announced that its Board of Directors has decided to terminate the employment of Andrew Hopkins as the company?s Chief Executive Officer and Principal Executive Officer, and to remove Dr. Hopkins from his role as an Executive Director of the Board, in each case for cause and effective immediately. The Board?s decision was taken following an investigation which found that Dr. Hopkins had engaged in relationships with two employees that the Board determined were inappropriate and inconsistent with the Company?s standards and values. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee of the Board is instituting a search for Dr. Hopkins?

successor as Chief Executive Officer. In connection with Dr. Hopkins? termination, Dave Hallett, the Company?s Chief Science Officer, has been appointed Interim Chief Executive Officer and Interim Principal Executive Officer, effective immediately and until such time as a new Chief Executive Officer commences employment or such other date determined by the Board or upon his earlier resignation.

During such term, Dr. Hallett will also serve as an Executive Director on the Board. The compensation terms for Dr. Hallett?s new roles are not yet determined and will be disclosed once available. Dr. Hallett has served as the Company?s Chief Scientific Officer since February 2023 and before that had been the Company?s Chief Operations Officer since January 2020.

Dr. Hallett has more than two decades of experience in drug discovery and alliance management. Prior to joining the Company, Dr. Hallett served as Executive Vice President of Chemistry and Executive Vice President of Alliance Management at Evotec. Dr. Hallett trained as a medicinal chemist and served as a Research Fellow at Merck & Co.

Inc. He holds a B.A. from the University of Cambridge in Natural Sciences, a Ph.D. from the University of Manchester in Synthetic Organic Chemistry and was a post-doctoral fellow in Synthetic Organic Chemistry at the University of Texas at Austin. In connection with Dr. Nicholson?s resignation from the Board, Elizabeth Crain, a Non-Executive Director and Chair of the Company?s Audit Committee, was appointed on an interim basis to replace Dr. Nicholson as Chair of the Board. Ms. Crain is a Co-Founder of Moelis & Company (?Moelis?) and served as Moelis?

Chief Operating Officer from 2007 to October 2023. In her role as Chief Operating Officer, Ms. Crain was responsible for firm wide strategy and led the global operations and risk functions. Ms. Crain also serves on the Board of Directors of the Nokia Corporation.

Following Dr. Nicholson?s departure, the Company reconstituted its Board committees and Elizabeth Crain, Robert Ghenchev and Franziska Michor will serve on each of the Audit Committee, Remuneration Committee and the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee.