JCB has announced that John Patterson, who has led the company through an unparalleled period of growth, is to be succeeded as CEO by Chief Operating Officer Matthew Taylor.

John Patterson, 58, continues as Chairman and CEO of JCB Inc, based in Savannah, Georgia, USA, and will focus on JCB's American business. He will remain on the Main JCB Board as a Director.

Matthew Taylor, 48, will take up his new role of CEO from 1 June. He joined JCB in April 2006 as Managing Director of JCB Sales and in January last year became Group Chief Operating Officer.

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JCB Chairman Sir Anthony Bamford said: "John Patterson has led the JCB Group through one of the most successful periods in our history and I'm pleased that he will now focus his attention on our American business based in Savannah. The JCB Group is facing some difficult challenges as we enter a period of economic uncertainty but I look forward to the next phase of our growth and development and these changes will help drive that."

After leaving the Royal Navy in 1985, Matthew Taylor joined Ford Motor Company, rising to become MD of Ford of Spain and later Vice-President of Marketing and Sales in Australia. He returned to the UK, when Ford bought Land Rover in 2000, and became Sales and Marketing Director. In 2002, following the business merger of Land Rover and Jaguar, Matthew gained responsibility for sales and marketing for Jaguar. He was made Managing Director of Land Rover in 2003, a position he held until he joined JCB.

(CD/JM)