Engineering boss announces retirement after 32 years with company

Derek Muir

The chief executive of engineering firm Hill & Smith is set to step down at the end of the year.

Derek Muir will retire, with Paul Simmons being appointed to succeed him at the beginning of next year.

Muir joined Hill & Smith in 1988, and has been chief executive since 2006.

Simmons joined Halma in 2010, and was latterly chief executive of the infrastructure safety and process safety sectors. In the year ended 31 March 2019, these two sectors reported revenue and adjusted operating profit of £606m and £134m respectively. Prior to Halma, he spent nine years at 3M leading businesses in the UK and USA.

Simmons said: “I am proud and delighted to have been asked to succeed Derek. Hill & Smith is an outstanding business, with a very clear strategy and operating model, and as the economic impact of the virus eventually abates I believe the business is extremely well placed for a very exciting future. I look forward to leading the Group through the next stage of its development.”

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