Appointment of Chief Financial Officer

Gooch & Housego PLC

("G&H" or the "Company" or the "Group")

Appointment of Chief Financial Officer

Gooch & Housego PLC (AIM: GHH), the specialist manufacturer of optical components & systems, announces the appointment of James Corte, an experienced finance executive with a track record in the defence, industrial and telecoms sectors, as Chief Financial Officer and Executive Director.

From 2015 to 2023, James held senior finance roles at Meggitt, the former FTSE-100 aerospace and defence company, where he became a divisional CFO with financial responsibility for manufacturing sites in the UK, Europe, the US and Asia. He also worked closely with the company's investor relations team.

James joins Gooch & Housego from the privately held Czech energy group EPH, where he became CFO of its UK subsidiary EP UK Investments Ltd in 2023. In this role, he leads the finance function of a diverse group of energy assets across the UK and Ireland with a turnover of approximately £2 billion.

James qualified as an accountant with PricewaterhouseCoopers before moving into industry in 2003. Much of his early career was in the telecoms sector, working at Vodafone Group for nine years and also at Arqiva Limited.

His starting date at the Company, which will be during the first half of CY2026, will be confirmed in due course.

Charlie Peppiatt, Chief Executive Officer of Gooch & Housego, said:

"Following a thorough search process, I am delighted to announce the appointment of James Corte as permanent Chief Financial Officer. His breadth of experience in the industrial and defence sectors, including the oversight of international operations, and his track record of operational improvement, will be of great value to the Company as we continue to pursue our strategic objectives."

Regulatory Disclosures

In accordance with Rule 17 and Schedule 2(g) of the AIM Rules for Companies, James Roger Corte, age 49 years, has held the following directorships in the past five years:

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Notes to editors

Gooch & Housego is a photonics technology business headquartered in Ilminster, Somerset, UK with operations in the USA and Europe. A world leader in its field, the company researches, designs, engineers and manufactures advanced photonic systems, components and instrumentation for applications in the Aerospace & Defence, Industrial, Life Sciences and Scientific Research sectors. World leading design, development and manufacturing expertise is offered across a broad range of complementary technologies.