Shares at British chemicals and sustainable technology firm Johnson Matthey plc (LON:JMAT) have risen more than 1% on the back of the announcement that new Chief Financial Officer Stephen Oxley will join the board on 1 April, with Karen Hayzen-Smith stepping down as interim CFO and continuing in her role as Group Financial Controller.
Oxley joins Johnson Matthey from KPMG, where he is currently a partner, and boasts experience working with a variety of FTSE 100 and private companies in audit and advisor roles across sectors including healthcare, natural resources, and industrials.
He has also been responsible for leading KPMG’s correspondence with the UK investor community on the firm’s performance, climate change, and Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) matters.
A qualified chartered accountant, Oxley has worked at KPMG for almost 30 years, and has been welcomed by Johnson Matthey CEO Robert MacLeod as a valuable addition as the company strives to meet its climate-conscious targets:
“I am extremely pleased that Stephen will join JM in April, and I am looking forward to working with him. I would also like to thank Karen for her valuable contributions and ongoing support over the past few months.
“Stephen’s extensive experience in working with large global companies on major strategic programmes will enable him to make an immediate contribution to JM as we progress our transformation and deliver our growth opportunities to create a cleaner, healthier world”.
Oxley himself added: “I am delighted to be joining JM at such an exciting time. The company’s sustainable technologies are right at the heart of tackling climate change and I am looking forward to working with Robert and the rest of the executive team to deliver the strategy and create value for all our stakeholders”.
Shares at Johnson Matthey are up 1.25% to 2679.00p at 09:40, following a turbulent year which has seen its price dip 10.18% over the past 12 months. Recent gains, however, have seen shares rally 8.71% over the last few weeks. The company has a modest dividend yield of 2.08% and a P/E ratio of 13.28.