Assura Plc announced that Simon Laffin intends to retire after a seven-year stint as nonexecutive chairman and company director at the end of the annual general meeting, scheduled for July 10.

The healthcare real estate investment trust will designate Ed Smith nonexecutive chairman in place of Laffin at the meeting. The outgoing director took on the role in 2011 and expressed his intention to step down in 2017, the company said.

Smith joined Assura as nonexecutive director in October 2017.