Whatman hires new CEO

LONDON, Sept. 21, 2005 -- Chemical products maker Whatman plc, a leading supplier of separations technology to the life sciences industry, announces the appointment of William Emhiser as the new chief executive of the company. He's expected to take up his appointment from Nov. 1.

This move follows the acquisition of Schleicher & Schuell, a German analytical chemistry supplier, that made Whatman the world's No. 3 provider of filtration technology behind Pall and Millipore for the markets it serves.

Bill Emhiser is currently president of North American Operations of Proteome Systems Ltd., a public company listed on the Australian stock exchange developing innovative technology solutions to enable proteomics research. Prior to this, from 1997 to 2003, he was employed in a number of senior management roles at Millipore Corp., a major U.S. competitor to Whatman in the manufacture of separations products for the laboratory life sciences market. Between 1997 and 1999, he was responsible for Millipore's Applied Microbiology Division, following which he was promoted to President of Millipore's Life Sciences Division, one of the two key divisions within the Company and a leader in the provision of innovative high-volume consumable sample prep tools for the life science research market.

Before joining Millipore, he spent six years with Amicon Inc., a division of the US multinational chemicals company, WR Grace, and a leader in the design and manufacture of ultra-filtration and chromatography products for the life sciences market. As President of Amicon, he led the successful sale of the business to Millipore. Throughout the 1980's, he held various senior management positions within Gelman Sciences Inc., now a division of Pall Corporation (another major competitor to Whatman), including as President and Executive Director.

Age 51, Bill is an American citizen and was educated at Duke University in the U.S. where he graduated magna cum laude in Biomedical Engineering and thereafter undertook an Executive Programme at Stanford Graduate School of Business.

Commenting on his appointment, Bob Thian, Chairman of Whatman, said:
"Bill Emhiser has spent nearly 30 years in the life sciences research business and has probably unparalleled senior management knowledge of the products, customers and markets with which Whatman is involved. I believe that he will bring to Whatman a blend of experience, knowledge, energy and enthusiasm, as well as a genuine international perspective, that can make a real difference to our business and help us achieve the growth outperformance that continues to be our objective."

For more information, see Whatman Plc's website: www.datamatic.com.

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