Directorate Change

RWS Holdings plc ("RWS" or "the Company"), a unique world-leading provider of technology-enabled language, content and intellectual property services, today announces that Benjamin Faes ("Ben"), 52, will be appointed as Chief Executive Officer ("CEO") of the Company.

Ben will join RWS as CEO-Designate on Monday, 2 December 2024 and it is anticipated that, following a handover of responsibilities, he will become CEO and a Director of the Company with effect from Monday, 6 January 2025. As announced on 1 October 2024, current CEO Ian El-Mokadem will remain available to support a smooth handover until the end of January 2025 when, as previously announced, he will leave the Company.

Ben has more than 25 years' experience in digital transformation and leadership across the technology and media sectors, creating and leading international teams in sales, partnership development and marketing. Ben will bring significant expertise in transforming businesses through the use of technology and driving profitable organic growth.

After eight years at AOL, culminating in the role of managing director for France, Ben joined Alphabet in 2008 where he launched the monetisation of YouTube across Europe. He then took a series of leadership roles for Google in the EMEA region before becoming managing director of Google Cloud for Southern Europe and Emerging Markets. In 2021, Ben joined Webhelp, a leading customer experience management company, as UK CEO and, following their merger with Concentrix, he led the transformation and technology team at Concentrix in his most recent role.

Ben Faes commented:

"I am delighted to be joining RWS at such an exciting time for the business. It is clear that the industry is in transition and that the Group is pivoting successfully in response, with a clear focus on accessing new sources of growth and adding to its already impressive technology and AI capabilities. I look forward to getting to know RWS's talented teams and leading the Group in the next phase of its development."

Julie Southern, Chairman, commented:

"I am delighted to welcome Ben to RWS. His extensive, international track record in developing new revenue streams and implementing go-to-market strategies will be a significant asset to the Group as we continue to develop and market our suite of AI-enabled services and software. I am confident that Ben's longstanding experience across sales, business development and marketing, combined with his strong technology background, will enable him to build on the strong foundations Ian has established.

"We are grateful for Ian's leadership of RWS over the last three and half years. He, and our broader leadership team, have made considerable progress in line with the Group's strategy, having brought RWS and SDL together, shaped our purpose and values, developed a refreshed range of AI-centred solutions, invested in a more efficient platform and seen the Group returning to organic constant currency growth in the second half of FY24. I would like to thank him for his continued commitment to the Group over the last six months while we have recruited his successor."

Directorships

Other than the directorships listed below, there is no further information required to be disclosed pursuant to paragraph (g) of Schedule 2 of the AIM Rules for Companies in relation to Benjamin Faes's appointment to the Board.

Current appointments:

Tinarel Ltd

Appointments held in the past five years:

100GB Ltd

Concentrix TSC UK Ltd