Connect Group PLC proposed final dividend of 1.0 pence for year ended 31 August 2019.

The company also announced Chief Executive Officer, Jozef (Jos) Opdeweegh, has stepped down from both his executive role and as a director of the Board with immediate effect. Jos has been instrumental in the past 12 months in helping to bring focus to the Group and many changes he has led position well to meet ambition in more closely aligning the Group's performance to shareholders' expectations. Jon Bunting (CEO, Smiths News), who joined Smiths News in 1994 and was appointed to the Board in 2010, has stepped up to become Interim Chief Executive Officer of the Group. In the light of the strategic review of the Tuffnells business will review this position at the end of that process. Jon will retain accountability as CEO of Smiths News through this interim period. Michael Holt (non-executive director) has agreed for the period of the strategic review process to become Executive Chairman of Tuffnells, with responsibility for providing relevant and current insight to aid both the broader strategic review and targeted profit recovery at Tuffnells. In order to ensure retain his expertise and contribution to wider strategy, Michael will continue as a director of the Group and member of the Board albeit, for the duration of this additional role, he will temporarily relinquish being a member of each of the Audit, Remuneration and Nominations Committees. However, given the short term and specific nature of his interim role, the Board does not currently consider that it will permanently impair Michael's future independence in accordance with the UK Corporate Governance Code.