Court appointed at W H Smith as Staunton retires as chair of board

Henry Staunton is retiring from the board of W H Smith after nine years as chairman and will be succeeded by Annette Court as a non-executive director and chair designate. 

Court will join the board on 1st September and will succeed Staunton on 1st December. Staunton will retire from the board on 30th November.  

Currently chair of the Admiral Group and a non-executive director of the Sage Group, Court was previously the c.e.o. of Europe general insurance for Zurich Financial Services and was a member of the group executive committee from 2007 to 2010.   

She was also the c.e.o. of Direct Line Group (formerly RBS Insurance) from 2001 to 2006 and a member of the RBS Group executive management committee.  She has also been a member of the Board of the Association of British Insurers (ABI). 

Simon Emeny, senior independent director, said: "We are very pleased to have appointed a chair of Annette’s calibre. The company conducted a comprehensive search and Annette emerged as the outstanding candidate.  She has a proven track record as a chair of a publicly quoted company and brings a wealth of experience from her board appointments and has a strong background in financial services and technology. 

"Annette’s appointment will enable a smooth transition from Henry who has led the company successfully throughout his tenure as chairman.  On behalf of the board, I would like to thank Henry for the outstanding contribution he has made to the success of W H Smith. He has successfully guided the company through an exceptional period of growth and helped it overcome the impact of the pandemic. We wish him well in the future." 

Staunton said it had been a “privilege” to serve such a “very special company” and wished Court “every success as she joins the board at a very exciting time for the company as it continues to recover following the pandemic”. 

Court said she was “very excited” by the news and looked forward to growing the business. 

Carl Cowling, c.e.o. commented: "I would like to thank Henry for his wise counsel, guidance and support during my tenure as c.e.o.  Henry has played a key role in contributing to the company’s success and I would like to wish him well for the future. I am very much looking forward to working with Annette as we continue to expand the scale and footprint of the business and benefit from the many exciting opportunities that lie ahead of us."