REACH

23 May 2024

James Cropper plc

('James Cropper', the 'Company' or the 'Group')

Appointment of Managing Director, Advanced Materials

Further to the Company's full year trading update on 30 April 2024, James Cropper plc (AIM: CRPR), the Advanced Materials and Paper & Packaging group, is pleased to confirm the appointment of Andy Walton as Managing Director, James Cropper Advanced Materials, a non-Board position, with effect from 29 July 2024.  Andy will become a member of the Executive Committee and report directly to the Chief Executive Officer.

Andy has over 30 years of experience in the chemicals, sustainable solutions, and advanced materials sectors. He has led multiple global businesses to deliver high performance solutions to OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers within Aerospace, Automotive, Energy and Industrial end markets.  Andy has a track record of driving significant growth through the positioning of disruptive technologies, P&L management, organisational development, and growth in new business.  

Andy joins from Victrex plc, a leader in high performance polymer solutions, where he was most recently Strategic Business Unit Director, Transport. In this role, he successfully led the integration of two separate business units of Aerospace and Automotive into one Transport business achieving significant growth in both revenue and profitability whilst delivering sustainable innovative solutions to the world's leading automotive and aerospace companies. Prior to this, Andy worked in senior roles for Huntsman plc and Innovia Films Ltd in the UK, Belgium and Switzerland.

Andy's key priorities will be to execute on the Advanced Materials strategic growth plan, including identifying short term growth opportunities and supporting an implementation plan for capturing mid to long-term growth in Hydrogen, Aerospace and Automotive markets. 

Steve Adams, Chief Executive Officer, commented:

"We are delighted to have Andy joining the Advanced Materials business. His wealth of experience in value creation and integration will strengthen the leadership team and we have no doubt that he is the right person to identify and enact on growth opportunities for James Cropper Advanced Materials. We look forward to working with him to deliver our strategic goals."

ENDS

Enquiries:

James Cropper plc

Andrew Goody, CFO

Stephen Adams, CEO

Tel: +44 (0)1539 818 202

Shore Capital - (Nominated Adviser and Broker)

Daniel Bush, David Coaten, Henry Willcocks, Lucy Bowden

Tel: +44 (0)207 408 4090

Buchanan Communications - Financial PR

Chris Lane, Charles Ryland, Jamie Hooper, Verity Parker

jamescropper@buchanancomms.co.uk

Tel: +44 (0) 207 466 5000

Notes for editors:

James Cropper is a market leader in Advanced Materials and Paper Products, centred around four market audiences: Future Energy, Technical Fibres, Luxury Packaging and Creative Papers.

A purpose-led business, built upon six generations of the Cropper family, James Cropper has a 500+ international workforce and an operational reach in over 50 countries.

Established in 1845, the Group manufactures creative papers, luxury packaging and advanced materials incorporating pioneering non-wovens and electrochemical coatings.

James Cropper is a specialist provider of niche solutions tailored to a unique customer specification, ranging from substrates and components in hydrogen electrolysis and fuel cells to bespoke colours and textures in paper and moulded fibre packaging designed to replace single use plastics.

The Group operates across multiple markets from luxury retail to renewable energy. It is renowned globally for service, capability, pioneering and multi award-winning commitment to the highest standards of sustainability.

James Cropper's goal is to be operationally net zero by 2030 and to reduce carbon through its entire supply chain to net zero by 2050.