APPOINTMENT OF NON-EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS
8/1/2007
LONDON, UK, 01 AUGUST 2007 – Optos plc (LSE: OPTS), a leading medical technology company for the design, development, manufacturing and marketing of retinal imaging devices, today announced the appointment of Saad H. Hammad, Chief Commercial Officer of easyJet plc, and Rosalyn S. Wilton, Chairman of Ipreo Holdings LLC, to the Board as non-executive directors of the Company with effect from 1 August 2007.
“Saad and Rosalyn are extremely valuable additions to our Board as they both bring extensive commercial, operational and strategic international business experience to Optos,” said Dr John M. Padfield, Chairman of the Board of Directors, Optos plc. “We believe this experience will be of considerable value to Optos as the Company expands its optomap® Retinal Exam product into new market segments and geographies."
In a joint statement, Mr Hammad and Ms Wilton said: “Optos has achieved tremendous growth in a short period of time and our appointment represents an outstanding opportunity for us to contribute to a company that is making a marked difference in eye and health care through the earlier and better detection of disease. We are extremely excited about joining the Board at such an important stage in the Company’s development and are looking forward to contributing to its continued success.”
Ms Wilton will succeed Dr Padfield as Chairman of the Remuneration Committee. Mr Hammad will also join the Remuneration Committee. They replace Anne M. Glover and Patrick R.D. Paul, who will step down from the Remuneration Committee.
The appointment of Mr Hammad and Ms Wilton brings the total number of directors to ten, consisting of three executive and seven non-executive directors. There are no other details which are required to be disclosed under LR 9.6.13 R relative to the appointment of Mr Hammad and Ms Wilton as non-executive directors of the Company.
Trading for the year to date reflects sustained growth in the Company’s core North American market, including within the corporate optical and eye-care chain customer segment, and continued success in growing the business to plan in Europe.
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Biographical Details
Mr Hammad (44) is Chief Commercial Officer of easyJet plc, one of the largest airlines in Europe. Prior to joining easyJet plc in November 2005, Mr Hammad was Managing Director (Europe) at Tibbett & Britten, a third party logistics provider, where he managed the outsourced supply chain operations across Europe of manufacturers and retailers that included P&G, Unilever, PepsiCo, Tesco, Wal-Mart, Carrefour and Metro. Previously, Mr Hammad was CEO of Autocascade, a pan-European web-based yield management company and before that was responsible for the worldwide commercial operation of 3,710 stores at Minit, a multi-service retailer. Mr Hammad has also held roles in consumer retailing and brand management at Vision Express, Thorn EMI and Procter & Gamble.
Ms Wilton (55) is Chairman of Ipreo Holdings LLC, the US-based financial data and solutions group, which was formed following the merger of i-Deal LLC and Hemscott Group Ltd and the acquisition of Marketpipe. Before the merger, Ms Wilton was Chief Executive Officer of Hemscott plc. Ms Wilton has previously served as Managing Director, Reuters Information Services, Managing Director, Reuters Transactions Products and as a member of the Reuters Executive Committee. Ms Wilton has held non-executive directorship positions with Scottish Widows and The London International Financial Futures Exchange.
Enquiries:
Optos plc
John McNeil, Director of Communications and Assistant Company Secretary
+44 (0) 1383 843 337
+44 (0) 7870 240 325
Notes to Editors
Optos plc is a leading and rapidly growing medical technology company for the design, development, manufacturing and marketing of devices that image the retina, the light-sensitive area at the back of the eye. Optos' platform technology is the Panoramic200 Scanning Laser Ophthalmoscope device - known as the P200. In a quarter of a second the P200 device produces a high resolution image of up to 200 degrees or approximately 82 percent of the retina in a single capture. The image - branded the optomap® Retinal Exam - provides eye care practitioners with clinically useful information that facilitates the early detection of disorders and diseases evidenced in the retina, such as glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy and age-related macular degeneration. Retinal imaging can also indicate evidence of non-eye or systemic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension and certain cancers. The Company has regulatory clearance (CE and FDA 510(k)) to market a second device - P200MA. Optos’ technology provides an unequalled combination of wide-field retinal imaging, speed and convenience for both practitioner and patient and can help save sight and save lives. Optos is incorporated in Scotland under the Companies Act 1985 with registered number SC139953. The Company maintains its Registered Office at Queensferry House, Carnegie Business Campus, Dunfermline, Scotland KY11 8GR United Kingdom.
Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements made in this announcement are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are not historical facts but rather are based on the Company's current expectations, estimates and projections about its industry, its beliefs and assumptions. Words such as 'anticipates,' 'expects,' 'intends,' 'plans,' 'believes,' 'seeks,' 'estimates,' and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, some of which are beyond the Company's control, are difficult to predict and could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or forecasted in the forward-looking statements. The Company cautions shareholders and prospective shareholders not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which reflect the view of the Company only as of the date of this announcement. The forward-looking statements made in this announcement relate only to events as of the date on which the statements are made. The Company will not undertake any obligation to release publicly any revisions or updates to these forward-looking statements to reflect events, circumstances or unanticipated events occurring after the date of this announcement except as required by law or by any appropriate regulatory authority.