Roach joined Ferguson, Wolseley's U.S. plumbing and heating business, in 1976. During his time with Ferguson he undertook a number of operational roles, including branch manager in Richmond, Va., and vice president of the U.S. Mid-Atlantic region. In 2005 he was appointed as senior vice president of the recently created Wolseley North America Management team with responsibility for North American business groups. In this role he has played a key part in further developing and expanding the Group's North American businesses including plumbing, waterworks, and HVAC.

Charlie Banks, CEO of Wolseley, said, "I am delighted with Frank's appointment. Frank has made a significant impact on Ferguson's and, more recently, the Group's success in North America over the past 30 years and I am sure he will bring all of that experience to bear in his new role."

John Whybrow, chairman of Wolseley, said, "I am delighted that we are able to make another senior appointment from within the organization and I look forward to Frank's contribution to the deliberations of our board. This appointment is an integral step in Chip Hornsby's succession as chief executive officer of the Group and will, from early in the new year, allow Chip the opportunity to spend more time in Europe gaining a deeper understanding of our businesses and, in due course, our investor relations activities."

Wolseley has around 60,000 employees operating in 14 countries, including the United Kingdom, United States, France, Canada, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Austria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Belgium, Luxembourg, and Denmark. For more information, visit www.wolseley.com.

Publication date: 01/02/2006