Hill & Smith appoints Rutger Helbing as CEO

Hill & Smith said on Thursday that it has appointed Rutger Helbing as chief executive officer with immediate effect.

The appointment follows an extensive process, supported by an external executive search firm, that considered both internal and external candidates, it said.

Dutch national Helbing was most recently CEO of Tyman, a FTSE 250 provider of engineered components to the construction industry, and prior to that CEO of Devro.

He spent his earlier career in commercial divisional finance roles in blue chip global manufacturing businesses including Unilever, ICI and AkzoNobel, before joining Devro as group finance director in 2016.

Alan Giddins, who has been executive chair since July 2022, will step back from his executive role following a short handover period and will revert to his previous role as non-executive chair, chair of the Nomination Committee and a member of the Remuneration Committee.

Giddins has been on the board for almost seven years, having joined as a non-executive in October 2017. Hill & Smith said he will step down as chair following the annual general meeting in May 2026.

With the appointment of a new CEO, executive responsibilities have been reorganised, the company said. As a result, chief operating officer Hooman Caman Javvi has stepped down from the board and will leave Hill & Smith to pursue other opportunities. The company does not expect to replace him.

Alan Giddins said: "I am delighted to welcome Rutger to the board; he has been the stand-out candidate for the CEO role at Hill & Smith following an extensive search.

"He brings broad based international manufacturing experience, excellent strategic and commercial acumen and significant experience as a CEO, with a track record of delivering value for shareholders. Culturally, Rutger is also an excellent fit with our business and teams."