By Aby Jose Koilparambil and Yadarisa Shabong
(Reuters) -British homebuilder Taylor Wimpey on Monday named insider Jennie Daly as its next chief executive, weeks after activist shareholder Elliott criticised its strategy and called for the appointment of an outsider to the role.
Daly, 51, who will become one of only a handful of female CEOs at FTSE 100 companies, joined the firm in 2014 and is currently group operations director and a member of the board.
She replaces Pete Redfern, who said in December he would step down after 14 years as CEO.
The appointment comes barely two months after Elliott Management, a U.S. based hedge fund, raised concerns about the company’s strategy and its share price, calling on it to replace Redfern with an outside candidate.
In response, Britain’s third largest housebuilder backed its strategy and said it was set for another year of growth in 2022 after delivering “record interim profits”.
Elliott, among Taylor Wimpey’s five largest shareholders, did not respond to a request for comment on Monday. A spokesperson for the housebuilder said it had “engaged with all major shareholders on the succession process, including Elliott”.
That process included consideration of a “long list of industry and non-industry candidates”, the company also said in a statement.
Daly will bring nearly 30 years of industry experience with her when she becomes CEO on April 26, at which time Taylor Wimpey will be one of the few companies with women holding both the chair and CEO roles.
Industry analysts at Exane BNP Paribas called Daly’s appointment “reassuring”, pointing to her “extensive experience” in land and planning.
Daly’s appointment comes as British housebuilders face a government order to cough up a hefty $5.4 billion to remove flammable cladding material from buildings.
Although Taylor Wimpey last month joined bigger rival Persimmon in highlighting sustained demand in the housing market, that could be dampened by rising interest rates.
(Reporting by Aby Jose Koilparambil and Yadarisa Shabong in Bengaluru; Editing by Subhranshu Sahu and Kirsten Donovan)
