Kingfisher: Succession is settled

Peter Jackson (58) is to become the new chairman of Kingfisher. He will succeed Francis Mackay (61), who is retiring at the end of the next Annual General Meeting on 24 May 2006. Peter Jackson retired as chief executive of Associated British Foods, the international food and retail group, in April 2005 after six years in the post and is currently senior independent director of the international engineering company Smiths group.