
Former Balfour Beatty CEO Leo Quinn Appointed As Executive Chairman Of WH Smith
WH Smith has appointed Leo Quinn, former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Balfour Beatty, as its incoming Executive Chairman, effective April 7, 2026. He will replace Non-Executive Chairwoman Annette Court, who will leave after the annual shareholder meeting on February 2, 2026.
Simon Emeny, Senior Independent Director, will serve as interim Chairman until Quinn assumes the role.
Quinn is a business leader with extensive experience in transforming large, complex organisations. Before Balfour Beatty, he was Group CEO of QinetiQ Group plc and Chief Executive Officer of De La Rue plc, collectively creating around 5 billion pounds in shareholder value. Early in his career, he held senior roles at Invensys plc and Honeywell Inc., gaining global operational experience. Quinn also founded The 5% Club to address youth unemployment and skills shortages. He holds an MSc in Management Science from Imperial College London and a BSc in Civil Engineering from the University of Portsmouth.




