RWS Holdings plc announced the appointment of Julie Southern as Non-Executive Director and Chairman Designate. The appointment forms part of the Group's succession planning, with the intention that Julie takes up the role of Non-Executive Chairman in October 2023, at which time Andrew Brode will become a Non-Executive Director. Julie, who will also become a member of the Group's Audit Committee, brings a wealth of business and governance experience from her previous executive career and her Non-Executive Director roles.

Julie is currently a Non-Executive Director and Chair of the Audit committees at Rentokil Initial, Ocado, NXP Semiconductor and easyJet, where she is also Senior Independent Director. She will have served as a Non-Executive Director at Rentokil Initial for a period of nine years in July 2023. Julie has also previously held Non-Executive Director positions at DFS Furniture Company and Cineworld Cinemas, where she chaired the respective Audit Committees, at Stagecoach where she chaired the Remuneration Committee and at Gategroup where she chaired the Nomination and Compensation Committee.

Julie's executive career included a number of senior finance, operations and marketing roles including at Porsche Cars, as Group Finance Director from 1996, before she joined Virgin Atlantic in 2000 as CFO with a broad management role, later becoming its Chief Commercial Officer in 2010. With world class leadership established across the Group, following the appointment of Ian El-Mokadem as CEO and the SDL acquisition, Julie's appointment will further strengthen the Group's highly experienced Board and provide a high calibre successor to Andrew Brode as Chairman. Andrew has indicated his intention to step down from his role as Chairman with effect from October 2023 at which time he will become a Non-Executive Director.

Andrew remains fully committed to supporting the Board in driving the business forward and intends to remain a significant shareholder in the Group.