Benchmark Holdings appoints Peter George as chairman

AIM-listed biotech company Benchmark Holdings has appointed Peter George as chairman with immediate effect, replacing Alex Hambro, whose retirement was announced back in January.

Benchmark said George is best known for his achievements as chief executive of global pharmaceutical and services company Clinigen, which he founded in 2010 and grew into close to a £1bn market cap company.

He currently serves as chairman of AIM-listed clinical research provider Ergomed and is also an entrepreneur in residence at Oxford Science Innovations.

CEO Malcolm Pye said: "I am delighted to welcome Peter George to our board as chairman. He has a wealth of experience and a demonstrable track record in delivering shareholder value. I look forward to working closely with him as we continue to drive growth across our organisation."

Prior to Clinigen, George held a number of senior roles in the pharmaceutical and healthcare sectors, including CEO of Penn Pharmaceutical Services. He also co-created Unilabs Clinical Trials International in 1997, which was sold to Icon in 2000.

At 1520 BST, the shares were down 2.9% to 51p.