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 **Tate & Lyle plc has announced the appointment of Sir Peter Gershon as a non-executive director and Chairman-elect of the company. **Sir Peter will join the board on 1 February 2009, and will succeed Sir David Lees as Chairman of the company by the end of 2009. Sir Peter Gershon has had a distinguished 30-year career in the computer, telecommunications and defence industries. Between 1987 and 1999, he was Managing Director of STC Telecommunications, GPT and Marconi Electronic Systems. In 2000, he was appointed Chief Executive of the Office of Government Commerce, in which capacity he also headed up the UK Government’s Efficiency Review in 2003/2004. Among his other current activities, Sir Peter is, and will remain, Chairman of Premier Farnell plc. Sir David Lees, Chairman of Tate & Lyle, said: “I'm delighted to welcome Peter to the Board of Tate & Lyle and very much look forward to working closely with him in the months ahead as we transition the Chairmanship of Tate & Lyle.” Sir Peter Gershon said: “This is an exciting time to be joining Tate & Lyle, following the significant reshaping of the Group over the last few years under the focused and diligent leadership of Sir David Lees and Iain Ferguson. I am greatly looking forward to working with Sir David, Iain and the rest of the Tate & Lyle Board on the many opportunities and challenges that lie ahead.”