Patrick De Smedt, former chair of Microsoft Europe, Middle East and Asia, has joined Morgan Sindall as a non-executive director

An engineer by training, De Smedt is on the board of Belgian technology company, Option NV and the FTSE 250 polymers company, Victrex.

John Morgan, executive chairman of Morgan Sindall, said: “The group and its shareholders have always been best served by a board with a broad range of skills and experience. Patrick’s appointment further enhances this range.”

Howard Seymour, an analyst at Numis Securities, said: “It looks pretty sensible to me. He has been around for a while and seems to be a well-rounded individual.”

De Smedt started at Morgan Sindall on 1 December.