People moves: Leidos brings in Stephen Vather as Alexis Tessier joins McCormick & Company. October 8, 2026 Plus IR team changes at Halma, Adecco Group and many more. Stephen Vather joined industry and technology company Leidos as its new senior vice president of investor relations. Vather joins the has NYSE-listed company from Leonardo DRS, where he was senior vice president of corporate development and investor relations and helped lead the company's return to the public markets. Before that, he spent nine years at ManTech, where he led M&A and investor relations. He began his career in investment banking. He succeeds Stuart Davis, who will continue to lead investor relations before retiring in March. The pair will collaborate through the transition to ensure continuity with investors and analysts, the company notes in a press release. 'I look forward to Steve continuing our productive engagements with shareholders and the broader investment community about how our NorthStar 2030 strategy is guiding our growth and delivering differentiated value for customers,' says Leidos CEO Tom Bell. 'I want to thank Stuart for his leadership, sound counsel and many contributions to Leidos. His continued involvement will enable a smooth transition of internal and external connections in the months ahead.' Elsewhere, food and beverage maker McCormick & Company has brought in Alexis Tessier as its new senior director, investor relations. Tessier joins after a three-year stint as vice president, investor relations at the Hain Celestial Group. Prior to that, she held senior IR roles at Grove Collaborative and ICR, as well as spending more than a decade on the sell-side in various research and analysis roles at 300 North Capital, Picoco, Citadel and Millennium Management. In the UK, Melanie Horton has announced that she will take over as head of investor relations at safety equipment company Halma, as current chief Charles King is set to retire. Horton has served in Halma's IR team since joining the company in 2022, when she joined as King's deputy head of IR. Prior to that, she held IR roles at Janus Henderson Investors, Medibank and Land Securities. She also worked in equity and credit sales roles for various institutions. King, meanwhile, has led the IR function at Halma for eight years since joining the FTSE-listed firm in 2018. Prior to that, he held IR roles at Worldpay, SSP Group, Lloyds Banking Group, Serco and Cadbury Schweppes. 'It's a bittersweet moment to be taking up the mantle as head of investor relations at Halma, as the legend that is Charles King retires,' Horton writes on LinkedIn. 'Everyone warns you about 'big shoes to fill'. Nobody warns you about following someone who always seemed to have an obscure literary quote perfectly suited to the meeting at hand, and somehow always the right one. 'Over the past year, Charles has done so much to make this transition feel seamless. Looking back, I appreciate more than ever the thought, care and generosity he brought to it. As IR Impact led the team together, he gradually and deliberately handed me the reins, always with unwavering support and encouragement. You've been my biggest supporter, mentor, coach, friend and partner, Charles.' Another departure is in the offing at Swiss-French human resources company Adecco, where longstanding head of IR Benita Barretto is standing down from her role. Barretto first joined the company in 2021 as senior vice president, group head of investor relations, adding external communications to her responsibilities in February 2026. Prior to that, she was senior investor relations officer, senior vice president at ABB and held various capital markets advisory and analyst roles at FGS Global, Berenberg Bank and Credit Suisse. 'After five and a half years at Adecco Group, I am closing a chapter I am truly grateful for,' Barretto writes on LinkedIn. 'My biggest lesson: good IR is about listening as much as telling, especially when the market doesn't see things your way...IR is a team sport. From quarterly results to deal announcements to investor roadshows on very little sleep, I was backed by brilliant colleagues every step of the way.' She adds that she is looking for a new opportunity and, in the meantime, will apply her 'finance and communications experience to help train AI models to produce clearer, more reliable output'. Finally, more new roles were revealed on LinkedIn and in press releases this week: Sebastian McCoskrie has taken on a new role as senior vice president, investor relations at Rheinmetall; QuidelOrtho has hired Sanjeev Sharma as its vice president, investor relations; and Mitra Hagen Negård has been appointed head of investor relations at DNB. Open IR positions Each week, IR Impact will post a selection of IR jobs from around the internet that are currently recruiting. If you have an open position in your IR team that you'd like IR Impact to feature here, please let IR Impact know at [email protected] North America * AmRest is looking for an investor relations analyst. * ASML is hiring an investor relations director. * Elopak wants a new investor relations manager. * Merck is looking for a manager investor relations. * Securitas Group wants an investor relations manager. * Fresenius is looking for a senior manager, investor relations with a focus on digital financial communications and AI.

Halma Group Chief Executive Marc Ronchetti named in Top 20 Advocates for women in business for third consecutive year. 22 September 2026 Halma Group Chief Executive Marc Ronchetti has been recognised for his ongoing commitment to gender diversity in business for the third consecutive year. INvolve, a global organisation dedicated to promoting diversity and inclusion in the workplace, has named Marc in the Top 20 of its Heroes Advocates Role Model List 2026. Supported by YouTube and run by INvolve, this list recognises those advancing women in global business. Marc's Top 20 recognition is a fantastic achievement and a testament to Halma's long-term commitment to building inclusive businesses to drive business performance. Halma's focus on inclusive businesses has strengthened gender balance in leadership. Women now hold 50% of senior roles, including 55% of plc Board positions and 67% of Executive Board positions, with key roles such as Chair, Group CFO and Senior Independent Director held by women. Female representation on company boards has also risen by 14 percentage points since 2020 to 31%. Halma aims to achieve a 40-60% gender balance in leadership by 2030. "I'm proud to play a part in advocating for gender balance, not only at Board level but across every level of our organisation. Inclusive businesses do not happen by accident; they are built through sustained leadership, clear action and accountability. I encourage leaders at Halma and beyond to keep building businesses where more people can contribute, progress and thrive. It is the right thing to do, and it will help us all to grow," said Marc Ronchetti, Group Chief Executive at Halma.