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This will take effect from 1 October 2007 and follows the announcement on 10 July 2007 of Steve Berg’s intention to resign at the end of September.  SPI said that Mr. Holloway will join the Group ahead of this date to assist in an orderly handover.

David Holloway FCA, 57, has held a number of senior finance positions in private and listed multi-national manufacturing and technology based businesses. Most recently, he was Divisional Finance Director at IMI Plc, responsible for finance and IT functions within the £350 million turnover Polypipe division, which comprised 19 operating companies in the UK, Europe and Far East. Here he initiated improvements in reporting, forecasting and liquidity management, utilising working capital and cash resources within the business more effectively. Polypipe was sold to a private equity firm in November 2005.

Holloway has also held the position of Finance Director of two fully listed Plc’s, namely Harrison Industries Plc, an engineering group which was acquired by Strategem Plc and also Datrontech Group Plc, an IT sector business operating internationally, where he was appointed to Datrontech to assist in the implementation of its turnaround strategy supported by the Natwest Bank. His experience at private companies include the position of Finance Director of a £30 million turnover telecoms / IT business which culminated in its sale to Azzurri PLC, and a rapidly expanding £20 million turnover FMCG manufacturing business, which was also sold.

SPI Lasers plc is a leading designer and manufacturer of optical fibre-based lasers that are currently used in a wide range of industries. The current product family is used to mark, weld, and cut materials used in the manufacture of a range of products.

Among new markets in prospect, as higher-power lasers are deployed, is defence, and the Group is currently involved in this sector through contracted development work with a number of companies and government agencies.

The Group has a strong network of international distributors. In Europe the international distributor is BFI Optilas, one of the region’s largest distributors of specialist products in the electronics and photonics markets. Outside Europe, the Group’s products are distributed on an exclusive basis in China, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan and Thailand.

Founded in 2000 on technology developed by the University of Southampton’s Optoelectronics Research Centre, the business is based in Southampton.

David Parker, Chief Executive of SPI Lasers plc, commented: “The Board is extremely pleased to have David join the team; he brings a wealth of experiences which are extremely relevant to the current stage of development of the Group.”

“The Board would also particularly like to thank Steve Berg for his significant contribution to the Group over the last five years and we wish him well in the future.”

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• SPI Lasers plc