Exercise of options

WH Ireland Group Plc

(“WH Ireland” or the “Company”)

Exercise of options

The Company announces that options over 12,500 ordinary shares of 5p each in the Company (“Ordinary Shares”) were exercised on 24 July 2015 pursuant to the WH Ireland Group plc Company Share Option Scheme (“CSOP”) at a price of 57p each, by current employees of the Company.  

In satisfaction of this exercise, the WH Ireland Group plc Employment Share Ownership Trust (the “ESOT”) has today transferred a total of 12,500 Ordinary Shares to certain employees of the Company. Accordingly, the ESOT now holds 1,989,500 Ordinary Shares representing 8.13% of the total issued share capital of the Company.

At the same time, the Company announces that options over 19,565 Ordinary Shares have been exercised today pursuant to the WH Ireland Group plc Save As You Earn Scheme (“SAYE”), by current employees of the Company and options over 7,500 Ordinary Shares were exercised today pursuant to the WH Ireland Group plc Company Share Option Scheme II (“CSOP II”) at a price of 84.5p each, by current employees of the Company.  

Accordingly, the Company has today issued and allotted 27,065 Ordinary Shares (the “New Shares”). Application has been made to admit the New Shares to trading on AIM. Admission is expected to become effective on 31 July 2015 and the New Shares will rank pari passu in all respects with the Company’s existing Ordinary Shares in issues.

For the purposes of the Financial Conduct Authority’s Disclosure and Transparency Rules (“DTRs”), the issued ordinary share capital of the Company following Admission will consist of 24,481,685 Ordinary Shares with voting rights attached (one vote per Ordinary Share). There are no Ordinary Shares held in treasury. This total voting rights figure may be used by shareholders as the denominator for the calculations by which they will determine whether they are required to notify their interests in, or a change to their interest in, the Company under the DTRs.

 For further information please contact:

WH Ireland Group plc                                                                       www.wh-ireland.co.uk

Richard Killingbeck, Chief Executive Officer                                      +44(0) 20 7220 1666

MHP Communications

Reg Hoare / Jade Neal / Jamie Ricketts                                             +44(0) 20 3128 8100                                                                                                                           whireland@mhpc.com