EXPERIAN, the Nottingham business information group, says it is still seeking a new chairman to succeed John Peace – nine months after he said he was stepping down.

Mr Peace, one of the founders of Experian 30 years ago, has become chairman of Standard Chartered Bank.

His appointment was announced last July after a period as acting chairman

Experian recognises that it cannot replace Mr Peace with a candidate with similar experience.

It is looking for someone who is UK-based and can advance the company's strategic development, bringing a different background and experience to the table.

At least 60 names were originally sifted and reduced to a shortlist of about ten.

But Experian's nominations committee is still not convinced it has the right candidate on the list.

In a statement, the company said: "By way of update on the search for a new chairman, Experian's nomination committee has been engaged in a rigorous process to identify a new chairman but to date no suitable candidate has been identified."

Mr Peace told the Post last year that his decision to leave a global company which he helped found had proved immensely painful.

He had expected to continue as non-executive chairman for a number of years, but his plans were blown off course by the offer of the chairmanship at Standard Chartered. His acceptance meant that Experian had no immediate succession planning in place for a chairman.

Mr Peace has made it clear he will continue until the right candidate is appointed.

An insider said: "The nominations committee is looking for a new chairman to bring something over and above what John can bring.

"John has huge experience and contributes huge value to that. But we don't want a figure head chairman.

"John understands the business and financial services and has all that value.

"We haven't found someone who beats what John offers at the moment."

Mr Peace, who lives in Notts, was appointed to the board of former parent company GUS in 1997 and became group chief executive in January 2000 when it concentrated on three major businesses – Home Retail Group, Experian and Burberry.

Shareholder value more than trebled.

Two years later, Mr Peace became chairman of Burberry in advance of its successful flotation.

GUS demerged its remaining businesses in 2006, becoming chairman of Experian.

Mr Peace joined GUS in 1970 where he held senior IT positions in the retail and home shopping divisions.

He co-founded CCN in 1980, a trading company formed by GUS that marketed information services to retailers and other lending organisations.

CCN was one of Europe's largest information services businesses andlater became Experian.