The Board appoints Paul Lester, CBE, as Chairman Designate with immediate effect, who will work closely with Jeff over the coming months to ensure a smooth transition of his responsibilities.
Paul is currently Chairman of the FTSE 250 company John Laing Infrastructure Fund, Greenergy - the second largest private company in the UK - and Knight Square Holdings.
Between 2002 – 2010, Paul was Chief Executive of the support services company VT Group plc, prior to which he held a variety of increasingly senior operational and strategic roles at a number of publicly-listed companies.
Paul Lester said: "I am delighted to be joining Essentra, and look forward to working with my fellow Board members to contribute to the continued successful development of the Company."
Essentra is a leading international supplier of specialist plastic, fibre, foam and packaging products with four Strategic Business Units: Distribution, Specialist Technologies, Health & Personal Care Packaging and Filter Products.