BPB is pleased to announce the appointment of Andrew Dougal and Evert Henkes as non-executive directors with effect from 1 August 2003, following the planned retirement of Michael Beckett and Martin Clark at the AGM held on 23 July 2003.


Mr Dougal, aged 51, was Chief Executive of Hanson plc from 1997 to 2002, during which time it became the world’s largest producer of aggregates as he established and expanded the Hanson divisional structure in Europe, North America, Asia Pacific and Australia. He joined Hanson, the former diversified industrial company, in 1986 as Financial Controller and spent some time as Managing Director of ARC Southern before becoming Group Finance Director in 1995.


Mr Dougal qualified as a chartered accountant with Ernst & Young before joining Scottish and Universal Investments Ltd in 1977, where he was Group Chief Accountant. He is currently a non-executive director of Taylor Woodrow plc.


Mr Henkes, a Dutch national, aged 59, was until April 2003 CEO of Shell Chemicals. Before his appointment to that role in 1997, he was strategy director for the division, having previously served as co-ordinator for the Chemicals business. Between 1992 and 1995 he was based in the Netherlands running Shell’s Billiton metals business prior to its sale to Gencor.


Mr Henkes joined Royal Dutch/Shell Group in 1973 and his earlier roles with Shell include Managing Director of Shell Chemicals UK; Area Co-ordinator, East and Australasia Region; Supplies and Trading Director, East (Singapore) and VP, International Marine. His early career was spent with Norcros in general management and Unilever in a range of economics and marketing roles.

• BPB is the world leader in the supply of plasterboard and gypsum plasters, and a major supplier of insulation, ceiling tiles and related products for internal linings, serving growing markets for building systems in over 50 countries.
  
• A group trading update for 2003/04 will be published by BPB on 18 September 2003.