Finning International announces Scott Thomson as president and CEO

The board of directors for Finning International (TSX:FTT) announces the appointment of Scott Thomson as president and CEO. The board of directors of

The board of directors for Finning International (TSX:FTT) announces the appointment of Scott Thomson as president and CEO.

The board of directors of Finning International (TSX:FTT) is pleased to announce the appointment of Scott Thomson as president and CEO, succeeding Mike Waites, effective June 17, 2013.

"We are extremely pleased to announce Scott's appointment and welcome him to Finning International," said Doug Whitehead, chairman of Finning's board of directors. "Scott's international experience, broad financial capabilities, and considerable strategic acumen complement the leadership team's existing breadth and operational strength. His knowledge and background, along with an energetic leadership style, make him well-equipped to build on our successful track record of creating value at Finning over the long-term."

Thomson joins Finning from Talisman Energy Inc. where he was chief financial officer with responsibility for finance, tax, treasury, investor relations, marketing, business development, and strategy, planning and performance management. Prior to joining Talisman, Thomson held several executive positions with Bell Canada Enterprises, including executive vice president, corporate development; vice president, head of mergers and acquisitions; and vice president, corporate strategy. Prior to Bell, Thomson was a vice president at Goldman, Sachs and Co. Thomson graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Political Science from Queen's University, Kingston and an MBA from the University of Chicago, Graduate School of Business.

The appointment follows a thorough succession process to identify a candidate to succeed current president and CEO Mike Waites, who announced his intention to retire from the company in January 2013, pending the choice of a successor.

Whitehead added, "On behalf of the board, I want to take this opportunity to thank Mike Waites for his invaluable contribution as president and CEO since 2008. Mike's dedication and wisdom have been the hallmarks of his leadership and he was instrumental in repositioning the company for future growth."

"I am pleased to join the strong Finning management team, and I am especially excited by Finning's business opportunities," said Thomson. "Finning is strategically well positioned, and has succeeded by focusing on operations and customers. I very much look forward to working with the team to continue to build on their success."

Finning International Inc. (TSX:FTT) is the world's largest Caterpillar equipment dealer delivering unrivalled service to customers for 80 years. Finning sells, rents and services equipment and engines to help customers maximize productivity. Headquartered in Vancouver, B.C., the company operates in Western Canada, Chile, Argentina, Bolivia, Uruguay, as well as in the United Kingdom and Ireland.