Builders' merchant Travis Perkins makes room for Chambers

The builders' merchant Travis Perkins (Frankfurt: 893509 - news) will this week name the former head of British technology superstar ARM Holdings (LSE: ARM.L - news) as its next chairman.

Sky News has learnt that Stuart Chambers has been picked to replace‎ Robert Walker, who has chaired the FTSE-250 company for the last seven years.

An announcement is expected to be made confirming Mr Chambers' appointment on Tuesday, according to insiders.

If confirmed, it will complete the replenishment of his boardroom roles, following the takeovers of microchip designer ARM and Rexam (Other OTC: REXMY - news) , the packaging manufacturer which was also chaired by Mr Chambers.

A former chief executive of glassmaker Pilkington, Mr Chambers has also sat on the boards of blue-chip companies including Tesco (Frankfurt: 852647 - news) .

Last month, he was named the new chairman of Anglo American (LSE: AAL.L - news) , the FTSE 100 miner which has seen a recovery in its fortunes following a rebound in commodity prices.

His arrival at Travis Perkins will be announced nearly four months after‎ the company struck a cautious note about the UK's economic prospects.

The owner of Wickes, the home improvement retailer, Travis Perkins has seen strong growth in its consumer business in recent trading periods, although its shares have slipped by almost 10% over the last year.

The company is due to announce its interim results in early August.

A Travis Perkins spokesman declined to comment on Monday.