Standard Life plc has appointed Sheelagh Whittaker as a non-executive director effective September 1, the insurer said Tuesday.

Commenting on Whittaker’s appointment Gerry Grimstone, chairman of the company said: “Her international experience, especially of North American markets, will be very beneficial to the board’s deliberations.”

Whittaker has spent much of her career in senior executive positions with Electronic Data Systems (‘EDS’), retiring as Managing Director, Public Sector Business, EDS UK, Africa and Middle East in November 2005. Prior to joining EDS in 1993, she held executive positions with Canadian Satellite Communications Inc., and the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. She has been a non-executive director of Imperial Oil Ltd. since 1995 where she chairs the corporate governance and nominations committee.

Whittaker has also been a member of the European Professional Women’s Advisory Board since 2005. She was a non-executive director of the Royal Bank of Canada Limited from 1993 until 2001. She is also co-chair of the Canadian Government’s “Committee for an Information Infrastructure” and a member of the Canadian Prime Minister’s Council on Science and Technology.

Headquartered in Edinburgh, Scotland Standard Life plc serves over 6.5 million customers worldwide. The operations of Standard Life Canada are headquatered in Montreal.

IE