Churchill’s grandson and Serco chief named new chair of Smith & Nephew

The grandson of Sir Winston Churchill and chief executive of Serco has been unveiled as the new chair of 167-year-old medical tech firm Smith & Nephew.

Rupert Soames will assume the position at the London-listed company following the retirement of Roberto Quarta, the firm announced, 

He will take the reins in late September, after joining the board during its AGM in March, bringing decades of experience in senior roles, and replacing Quarta, who was elected to the position in 2014. Quarta is also chair of WWP.

Soames served as the chief executive of global outsourced services provider Serco for eight years up until 2022, leading its successful turnaround. He also spent a decade as support services company Aggreko, where he was chief executive, while holding non-executive roles as firms such as DS Smith and Electrocomponents. 

Rupert Soames said: “Smith & Nephew is a leader in the medical technology sector with a 167-year history of supporting patients to return to health. 

“I am honoured to be the next Chair of the Board, and look forward to working with Deepak [Dr Deepak Nath, chief executive]”.

Marc Owen, who led the chair search process, commented: “The board conducted an extensive search for a new chair and we are delighted to welcome Rupert to the Board. 

“We believe that Rupert’s extensive track record of value creation in global companies and deep understanding of corporate governance will help Deepak Nath and his team deliver on their existing plans to grow the business and to improve its operational performance. 

“I would like to thank Roberto for his unwavering commitment and support to the Board and for his contribution and service to the Company during his tenure.”