CHARLES Berry is stepping down as chairman of Weir Group, paving the way for the first woman to occupy the post, writes Scott Wright.
The Glasgow engineering giant said the Scot, a former senior executive of ScottishPower, will retire from the role following the company’s annual meeting in April of next year. By then he will have served on the board for nine years.
Mr Berry will be replaced by Barbara Jeremiah, who has been appointed chair-designate with immediate effect. Ms Jeremiah has been Weir’s senior independent director since 2020, having joined the board in 2017. Her career has included more than 30 years with Alcoa Inc, the global aluminium producer, where she was executive vice-president, corporate development, and chairman’s counsel.
Mr Berry said it has been “an incredible privilege to serve as chairman of Weir, a business where my father spent much of his career and a group that I have had a life-long affection for.”
He added that “it is also great to be handing the baton on to the first woman to chair Weir in the group’s 150-year history.”
Ms Jeremiah, a former non-executive director of Aggreko, said: “I am honoured to succeed Charles who in all respects has been an exemplary leader of our board.”
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