Merlin Entertainments has announced the appointment of Anne-Françoise Nesmes to its board as chief financial officer, effective from 1 August 2016.

Nesmes succeeds the outgoing Andrew Carr, who announced his intention to retire last month. Nesmes currently holds the position of CFO and executive director of Dechra Pharmaceuticals, a role she has been in since April 2013. Previously she operated in several roles for GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), including senior vice-president of finance for GSK Vaccines Belgium and vice-president and finance controller for GSK Europe.

“We look forward to welcoming Anne-Françoise to the board later in the year,” said Sir John Sunderland, Merlin chair. “Her extensive finance and international experience will enable her to make a significant contribution to our business as we continue to grow.”

Andrew Carr will stay in his role until Nesmes starts her new role and will remain with Merlin for a time during a handover period.