LONDON: Ferguson Plc has announced the appointment of Simon Oakland as interim Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Wolseley UK.
Simon replaces Mark Higson, who is stepping down to pursue an opportunity outside of the Company. Mark will leave the Company on 31 January 2020 to facilitate a handover and Ferguson has commenced a search for his permanent successor.
Simon brings extensive experience in strategy, finance and operations to the role. He is currently CEO of Ferguson’s Canadian business and Head of Corporate Development. Since September 2019 Simon has also been project managing the Wolseley UK demerger process. He joined Ferguson as Managing Director of the French business before moving on to the role of Group Head of Corporate Development where he is responsible for M&A activity and corporate strategy.
Prior to joining Ferguson in 2012, Simon gained valuable strategic and Board experience across a variety of sectors spanning Europe, North America and the Far East as part of a successful career in private equity, most recently as a Partner at Alchemy Partners.
Preparation for the demerger of Wolseley UK is well underway and the Company still expects to complete the transaction in calendar 2020. Ferguson will provide an update on the progress and timing of the transaction in the first quarter of 2020.