Philip Lader succeeds Hamish Maxwell

27 Feb 2001

WPP Group plc (“WPP”) is delighted to announce the appointment of Philip Lader, the outgoing US Ambassador to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, as Non-executive Chairman. Philip Lader will succeed Hamish Maxwell, who is retiring as expected.

South Carolina-born Philip Lader, aged 54, has had a distinguished international career in business, education and politics. Since 1997, he has been the US Envoy in London. He previously served in President Clinton’s Cabinet as Administrator of the US Small Business Administration, was White House Deputy Chief of Staff and Assistant to the President and Deputy Director for Management of the Office of Management and Budget.

Before entering government service, Philip Lader was Executive Vice President of the late Sir James Goldsmith’s US holdings, including America’s largest private landholdings, sixth largest forest products company, largest computer supplies distributor, and oil and gas interests. Lader had formerly been President of Sea Pines Company, the award-winning developer of Hilton Head Island and other large scale resort communities and President of universities in his home state South Carolina, and in Australia.

As Ambassador to the United Kingdom, Lader walked the length and breadth of Great Britain and concentrated on US-UK trade and commerce, bilateral collaboration in emerging technologies and the Northern Ireland peace process.

Lader has also been appointed Senior Advisor at Morgan Stanley International, the global financial services company, and will be affiliated with a prominent Southeast US law firm.

Philip Lader was educated at Duke University and the University of Michigan and holds law degrees from Oxford University and Harvard Law School. He has been awarded honorary doctorates from 12 American and British universities and colleges.

We say farewell to Hamish Maxwell with real regret. Our chairman since 1996, he has brought warmth, wisdom and an immense body of experience to the service of our company. We are forever indebted to him – and wish him all happiness in his forthcoming full retirement.