London – Reuters Group PLC announced today that Ian Strachan (57) will join the Board as a non-executive director on 10 May 2000.

Mr Strachan retired as non-executive Deputy Chairman of Invensys plc (formerly BTR Siebe plc) on 31 March 2000. He is a non-executive director of Transocean Sedco Forex in Inc. in Houston, USA.

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e:mail: peter.v.thomas@reuters.com

Note to editors:

Ian Strachan

Biography

Ian Strachan was appointed Deputy Chairman of Invensys plc in 1999 and retired on 31 March 2000 following the successful integration of BTR and Siebe. Invensys is a leader in automation and controls. Strachan was Chief Executive Officer and an executive director of BTR plc from 1995 to 1999 and was responsible for a major strategic restructuring at BTR, changing the company from a diversified industrial conglomerate to a focused engineering group.

Strachan joined Rio Tinto plc (formerly RTZ plc) as Chief Financial Officer and an executive director in 1987. In 1991 he was appointed Deputy Chief Executive Officer and was responsible for the company's industrial minerals and industrial businesses.

From 1986 to 1987 he was Chief Financial Officer of Johnson & Higgins, the second largest US insurance broker.

Prior to that he spent 16 years with Exxon Corporation. He joined Exxon in 1970 and held various senior positions in New York, Houston, Thailand and Japan. In 1982 he was appointed Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Esso Group of Companies in Hong Kong and China. The following year he became Executive Assistant to the Chairman of Exxon, based in New York. From 1984-86 he was Manager, Corporate Strategy.

Strachan began his career as Training Associate with the Ford Foundation in Malaysia.

He holds a MA in History from Cambridge University, an MPA (Master of Public Affairs) from Princeton University and was a Teaching Fellow and Ph.D candidate at Harvard University from 1969-70.

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