Coats : Appointment of Non-Executive Director

18 May 2016

Coats Group plc

Appointment of Non-Executive Director

Coats Group plc ('Coats' or the 'Company') announces that Frances (Fran) Philip will join the Board as a Non-Executive Director, effective 1 October 2016. In addition, she will join the Nomination Committee and the Remuneration Committee.

Fran is currently a Non-Executive Director of the following US companies: Vera Bradley, the accessories brand (additionally Chairman of the Nominations and Governance Committee); Totes Isotoner, the accessories manufacturer; Pacific Sunwear of California, the sportswear and fashion retailer (additionally Chairman of the Compensation Committee) and Regent Holdings, a home décor designer and importer.

Fran has over 30 years of apparel merchandising, product innovation and brandingexperience having spent the majority of her career at LL Bean, the US retailer. She has a degree in English and Sociology from Bowdoin College, Maine, and has an MBA from Harvard University.

Commenting on the appointment Mike Clasper, Chairman, said:

'I am delighted that Fran has agreed to join the Coats Board. Her extensive experience in the US apparel industry and relationships with major retailers and brands will support the continued growth in our core Apparel and Footwear business. She has a proven ability of understanding customer requirements, driving innovation and commercialising products, skills which will support the delivery of our goal of becoming the leading value added partner to the apparel, footwear and accessories industries, as well as supporting new product development in our Speciality business. In addition, she possesses Board experience in both public and private companies in which she has demonstrated the ability to operate in diverse cultural environments.'

No further information is required to be disclosed pursuant to Listing Rule 9.6.13.

Enquiry details

UK media Richard Mountain +44 20 3727 1374

New Zealand and Australian media Geoff Senescall +64 9 309 5659

Investors Jaideep Thatai +44 20 8210 5086

About Coats Group plc

Coats is the world's leading industrial thread manufacturer and a major player in the Americas textile crafts market. At home in more than 60 countries, Coats employs over 19,000 people across six continents. Revenues in 2015 were US$1.5bn. Coats' pioneering history and innovative culture ensure the company continues leading the way around the world: providing complementary and value added products and services to the apparel and footwear industries; applying innovative techniques to develop high technology Speciality threads and yarns in areas such as automotive and fibre optics; and extending the crafts offer into new markets and online. Headquartered in the UK, Coats has a premium listing on the London Stock Exchange. To find out more about Coats visitwww.coats.com.