James McAdam CBE, 71, Chairman, appointed in 1992. He was also Group Chief Executive from 1992 until March 2000. From 31 March 2001, while continuing as Chairman, he ceased to be a full-time executive.

Lee Abraham*, 74, appointed in 1994. He has wide experience of US retailing over many years and is a director of Salomon Smith Barney Investment Funds.

Robert Blanchard*, 57, appointed in September 2000. He was a Group Vice President of Procter & Gamble and President of its North American Beauty Care business until his retirement in November 1999. He is a non-executive director of Best Buy Co. Inc. and Bandag Inc.

Walker Boyd, 49, appointed Group Finance Director in 1995. He is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland. From 1992 he was Finance Director of the Group's UK division.

Terry Burman, 56, appointed Group Chief Executive in March 2000. He is also Chief Executive Officer of the Group's US division. Mr Burman was appointed to the Board in November 1996. Prior to joining the Group in 1995 he was Chief Executive Officer of Barry's Jewelers, Inc.

Ian Dahl, 57, appointed Chief Executive of the Group's UK division in October 1999. He was formerly Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Asprey Group.

Brook Land*, 53, appointed in 1995. Until April 1996 he was a senior partner of, and is now a consultant to, solicitors Nabarro Nathanson. He is also non-executive Chairman of RPS Group plc and Medal Entertainment & Media plc. He has been nominated to be the senior independent director of Signet following the annual general meeting.

David Wellings*, 61, appointed in 1992. He was Group Chief Executive of Cadbury Schweppes PLC when he retired in 1996. He was nominated as the senior independent director of Signet in November 1998. He is not standing for re-election as a director at the annual general meeting.

* Non-executive directors, all of whom satisfy the National Association of Pension Funds and the National Association of Security Dealers definitions of independence.

Alternate director

Richard Miller, 57, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of the Group's US division. He was appointed in 1994, and has announced his intention to retire in April 2003.

Committees

Remuneration David Wellings (Chairman), Lee Abraham, Robert Blanchard, Brook Land.

Audit Brook Land (Chairman), Lee Abraham, Robert Blanchard, David Wellings.

Nomination David Wellings (Chairman), Lee Abraham, Robert Blanchard, Brook Land, James McAdam.

Under the Company's present Articles of Association, directors appointed by the Board since the last annual general meeting, either to fill a vacancy or as an additional director, must retire at the next annual general meeting. At every annual general meeting, one-third (or the nearest number to but not exceeding one-third) of the directors, other than those retiring as above, must retire from office, and all directorships so vacated may, subject to compliance with applicable notice procedures under the Articles of Association, be filled at that meeting.

The directors to retire in each year are the directors who have been longest in office since their last election. A retiring director is eligible for re-election. Although the Company's Articles of Association do not require directors over the age of 70 to retire at every annual general meeting, this is a policy that the Company has adopted. Any director retiring in accordance with this policy and who does not seek re-election will not be included in the calculation of the one-third of directors required to retire by rotation. Under the Articles of Association, the one-third of directors who would be required to retire as stated above is reduced by the number (if any) who retire and do not seek re-election.

However, the directors have decided that where the requirements of the Articles would permit a director to remain in office, without re-election, beyond the third annual general meeting following his last re-election, he will retire at that meeting, but may seek re-election.

Messrs. Abraham, Burman and McAdam retire from the Board at the forthcoming annual general meeting. Following consideration by the Board of the recommendations of the Nomination Committee, they offer themselves for reelection. Mr Wellings retires from the Board and does not offer himself for re-election.

Officers

Stephen Card, 42, Group Treasurer, appointed in 1999. Previously he was Treasury Manager of Nycomed Amersham plc, and prior to that Group Treasurer of Scapa plc.

Timothy Jackson, 43, Company Secretary and Investor Relations Director, appointed in 1998. He is a Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants. Prior to joining the Group he was Company Secretary and Director of Investor Relations of Cordiant Communications Group plc.

No director or officer has any family relationship with any other director or officer.

Advisers

Auditors KPMG Audit Plc,
8 Salisbury Square, London EC4Y 8BB.

Financial advisers Lazard Brothers & Co. Limited,
21 Moorfields, London EC2P 2HT.

Stockbrokers Deutsche Bank AG,
Winchester House, 1 Great Winchester Street,
London EC2N 2DB.

Cazenove & Co. Ltd,
12 Tokenhouse Yard, London EC2R 7AN.

UK lawyers Theodore Goddard,
150 Aldersgate Street, London EC1A 4EJ.

US lawyers Weil, Gotshal & Manges,
One South Place, London EC2M 2WG.

Principal bankers Barclays Bank PLC,
54 Lombard Street, London EC3P 3AH.

HSBC Bank plc,
27-32 Poultry, London EC2P 2BX.

Royal Bank of Scotland plc,
135 Bishopsgate, London EC2M 3UR.

Registrars Capita IRG Plc,
Bourne House, 34 Beckenham Road,
Beckenham, Kent BR3 4TU.