NWS Smiths News

Connect Group PLC

("Connect Group" or "the Company")

Board Changes

Connect Group, a leading specialist distributor operating in four divisions; News & Media, Books, Education & Care and Parcel Freight, is pleased to announce that Denise Collis will join the Board as a non-executive director and member of the Audit, Remuneration and Nominations Committees, with effect from 1 December 2015. Denise will subsequently succeed Anthony Cann as Chairman of the Remuneration Committee at the conclusion of the Annual General Meeting on 4 February 2016 when Anthony Cann will step down and retire from the Board.

Denise Collis was Chief People Officer at Bupa (British United Provident Association Limited), the global healthcare business, from May 2010 until December 2014. Prior to that, she held senior HR roles at a number of leading organisations including 3i Group plc, EY, Standard Chartered Bank and HSBC. She is currently the Chair of the British Heart Foundation's Remuneration Committee and a member of its Nominations Committee and Advisory Council, Vice Chair to the International Advisory Board to Leeds University Business School and a member of the Advisory Board to the University of Exeter Business School.

Gary Kennedy, Chairman of Connect Group, commented:

"I am delighted to announce the appointment of Denise to the Connect Group Board. Denise brings with her strong cross-sectoral experience and insights, which will broaden the Board's overall expertise. I welcome her to the Board and look forward to working with her."

"I would also like to thank Anthony Cann for his significant contribution to the Board over the past nine years. His oversight, guidance and judgement have contributed greatly to the overall success of the Company during his time on the Board and as Chairman of the Remuneration Committee."

Denise Collis said:

"I am delighted to be joining the Board at such a positive time, given the exciting opportunities that lie ahead for Connect Group to realise its ambitions. I look forward to joining my new colleagues and being able to contribute to the ongoing long term success of the Company."

The Company confirms that there is no further information about Denise Collis requiring disclosure under paragraph 9.6.13 (2) to (6) of the Listing Rules of the UK Listing Authority.

Enquiries:

About Connect Group PLC:

Connect Group PLC is a leading specialist distributor operating in large and diverse markets. The Group has four separate divisions, connecting suppliers to customers in an efficient, knowledgeable and service oriented way:

·      Connect News & Media - Encompassing: Smiths News and Dawson Media Direct. Smiths News is the UK's largest newspaper and magazine wholesaling business with an approximate 55 per cent. market share. It distributes newspapers and magazines on behalf of the majority of the major national publishers as well as a large number of regional publishers. It serves approximately 30,000 customers across England and Wales, including large general retailers as well as smaller independent newsagents delivering approximately 35 million newspapers and 11 million magazines weekly. The News business also includes Pass My Parcel, a new Click & Collect delivery service for outbound and returns parcels with Amazon as its first client; Dawson Media Direct is an international media direct business supplying newspapers, magazines, inflight entertainment technology and content to over 80 airlines in 50 countries.

·      Connect Books - Combining a number of recognised brands in print and digital bookselling across four customer focused business units: Wholesale, including Bertrams Books; Libraries, including Dawson Books; Direct to Consumer, including Wordery and International, including Houtschild. The division serves over 8,200 customers in approximately 100 countries, with over 156,000 in stock titles and access to over a further seven million consumer and twenty million academic titles.

·      Connect Education & Care - A leading independent supplier of consumable products through The Consortium and West Mercia Supplies. The division holds an approximate 5 per cent. market share of the estimated addressable market, comprising the consumables element of education spend. It serves over 30,000 customers with an extensive range of over 40,000 products across a branded, own-brand and value range, including exercise books, stationery, arts and craft and cleaning products through a paper based catalogue and increasing focus on e-commerce trading with schools.

·      Connect Parcel Freight - Tuffnells is a leading provider of next-day B2B delivery of mixed freight/ parcel consignments, specialising in items of irregular dimension and weight, examples of which include bulky furnishings, building materials and automotive parts. Tuffnells offers distribution coverage throughout the UK through a network of 37 depots and operates a largely depot-to-depot operational model, providing over 10 million deliveries per annum, through a wide range of services to over 4,200 largely 'SME' customers.