John Menzies plc – parent company of Menzies Aviation – has announced that Dermot Smurfit has notified the board of his intention to step down as chairman and is being replaced by an aviation specialist.

Philipp Joeinig, a current non-executive director of the Group, will succeed Smurfit (pictured below) as chairman and both of these changes are with immediate effect.

Smurfit joined the board in July 2016 and oversaw the $202 million transformational acquisition of ASIG Ltd, successfully sectioned the defined benefit pension scheme and, most recently, completed the sale of Menzies Distribution, exiting the Group from the print media logistics sector.