New Assura chairman to take the reins at AGM next week

Assura confirmed the timeline for the handover of chairman responsibilities on Tuesday, reporting that Ed Smith would be appointed as non-executive chairman at the conclusion of the annual general meeting on 10 July.

The FTSE 250 firm said at that point, Simon Laffin would be retiring as both non-executive chairman and a director.

It had initially announced Laffin’s retirement and Smith’s appointment on 22 March.

“Simon's vision and determination for the company has guided it through a turnaround from a business suffering severe financial difficulties in 2011 to the well-financed and focused company we have today,” said senior independent director David Richardson at the time.

“He leaves a strong management team and board in place.

“I'm delighted that Ed has agreed to take on the role of chairman.”