ASSOCIATED BRITISH PORTS HOLDINGS PLC APPOINTS CHRIS CLARK AS CHAIRMAN

ASSOCIATED BRITISH PORTS HOLDINGS PLC APPOINTS CHRIS CLARK AS CHAIRMAN

Associated British Ports Holdings PLC ("ABP") today, Thursday 1 July 2004, announces that Chris Clark, Chief Executive of Johnson Matthey plc, the speciality chemicals company, will join the Board as Non-Executive Chairman on 1 August 2004.

Chris Clark, 62, has spent his entire career at Johnson Matthey and retires from the company on 20 July 2004. He was appointed to the Board of Johnson Matthey in March 1990, becoming Chief Operating Officer in 1996 and Chief Executive in June 1998.At a senior management level, Chris Clark has been responsible for developments across all Johnson Matthey's businesses. Under his leadership, Johnson Matthey, which currently has a market capitalisation of more than �2 billion, joined the FTSE 100 in 2002.

Chris Clark is also Deputy Chairman of Rexam PLC, the worldwide consumer packaging group, and a Non-Executive Director of FKI PLC, the international engineering group.

Commenting on his appointment, Chris Clark said:"ABP is an excellent company with great growth prospects.I look forward to working with the management team to embrace the opportunities that arise in the future. "

Aubrey Adams, Acting Non-Executive Chairman of ABP, said:

"We are delighted that Chris Clark has agreed to become the company's Non-Executive Chairman.His broad business knowledge and commercial experience will be an asset to the Board and to the future growth of the company."

In connection with this appointment, the company confirms that there are no details to be disclosed as otherwise required by Paragraph 16.4 of the Listing Rules.

1st July 2004

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