Directorate Change

Whitbread PLC
30 August 2002



30 August 2002


                      Rod Kent to join Whitbread board


Whitbread PLC today announced that Rod Kent, currently Managing Director of
Close Brothers Group PLC, is to join its board as a non-executive director on
1st September 2002.  He will also become Chairman of the Whitbread Pension
Trustees.

Sir John Banham, Chairman, commented:  'Rod joins the board at an exciting stage
of the group's development.  The significant restructuring of recent years is
already producing results in terms of value creation and growth.  Rod's
extensive investment banking and commercial experience will be very valuable in
helping the board achieve Whitbread's full potential.'

Rod Kent (54) joined Close Brothers in 1974 and led the management buyout of the
bank in 1978/9.  He took the group public in 1984 since when it has become the
UK's largest independent quoted merchant bank.  He steps down as Managing
Director in October 2002 but will remain as a non-executive director.

He is also Chairman of Grosvenor Ltd; a non-executive director of Grosvenor
Group Holdings Ltd and a trustee of the Esmee Fairbairn Foundation.


                                     -end-

Contact:

David Reed
Whitbread - Corporate affairs  - 020 7806 5436


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