Rentokil Initial plc has today announced the appointment of Thérèse Esperdy as chair of the board, commencing 1 September 2026. She will join the board as a non-executive director and chair-designate on 1 July this year, succeeding Richard Solomons, who is retiring from the company.

Esperdy is currently non-executive chair of tobacco company Imperial Brands plc, a position from which she will retire in November, having served on the board since July 2016. She is also the senior independent director designate of medical technology provider Smith & Nephew plc and a non-executive director of financial services organisation Moody’s. Esperdy was previously senior independent director of National Grid plc.

In her executive career, Esperdy held senior leadership roles with JP Morgan, including global chair of its Financial Institutions Group, co-head of Asia-Pacific Corporate & Investment Banking and global head of Debt Capital Markets.

John Pettigrew, Rentokil Initial senior independent director, said: “On behalf of the Board, I would like to thank Richard for his strong, committed leadership and his significant contributions to the Company over many years.

“We are delighted to welcome Thérèse to Rentokil Initial. She brings considerable experience to the Board from her wide-ranging non-executive roles in international businesses based in both the UK and the US. The Board is confident that she is the best possible candidate to lead the Board through the exciting next phase of Rentokil Initial’s growth, working with Mike and the executive team.”