LEHIGH VALLEY, US: Air Products will add three new independent directors to its Board of Directors and will commence a search to identify a successor to chairman and CEO John E McGlade, who will retire in 2014. The actions reflect the Board’s ongoing focus on best-in-class corporate governance and leadership succession planning to ensure the Air Products Board and management has the appropriate experience and expertise to deliver long-term value for Air Products shareholders.
The CEO search will commence promptly, led by a newly formed search committee of the Board with the assistance of a leading executive search firm. The search will be conducted in a manner consistent with recruiting an accomplished executive with the skills and experience necessary to successfully lead a large, global industrial gas company. McGlade will continue to serve as chairman and CEO during the search process and then as chairman for an agreed-upon transition period in 2014. The incoming CEO will also join the Board as a director.
The three new independent directors will join the Board immediately. Two of the new independent directors, Edward Monser and Matthew Paull, will stand for election at the Air Products 2014 Annual Meeting. The third independent director, Seifi Ghasemi, will stand for election at the 2015 Annual Meeting. With the addition of the three new directors, three current Air Products directors will retire prior to the 2014 Annual Meeting in order to maintain an optimal board size.
“Air Products is a long-cycle business, and we have taken significant actions in recent years to position the company for accelerated earnings growth in an economic recovery. As I approach age 60 and the Board plans for my retirement, the actions our Board is announcing today will ensure an orderly leadership transition and a company that is well positioned to deliver long-term shareholder value. We have had a constructive dialogue with Pershing Square, our largest shareholder, and are pleased they are supportive of the actions our Board is announcing today for the benefit of all Air Products shareholders,” said McGlade.
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