Whitbread Appoints new Group Finance Director

RNS Number : 4076L

Whitbread PLC

04 September 2012

 

WHITBREAD APPOINTS NEW GROUP FINANCE DIRECTOR

Whitbread PLC today announces that Nicholas Cadbury has been appointed as its new Group Finance Director.  He will succeed Christopher Rogers who has become Managing Director of Costa Coffee.  Nicholas will become a member of the Whitbread PLC Board and will join the company on a date to be announced in due course.

Nicholas is currently Chief Financial Officer of Premier Farnell PLC which he joined in 2011.  Previously, he was at Dixons Retail PLC in a variety of management roles, including Chief Financial Officer from 2008 - 2011.

Whitbread Chief Executive, Andy Harrison said:

"We are delighted with this appointment, having conducted a thorough international search.   Nicholas has experience as Finance Director in two different multi-national PLCs.   In addition, he has 18 years experience of working in a multisite consumer business across a broad range of roles at Dixons, including Commercial Director for PC World and Managing Director for PC City, Italy.  He brings a wealth of experience, which will be highly relevant to Whitbread as we continue to realise our ambitious plans for the business.   Nicholas is an excellent addition to our team and we're very pleased to have him on board."

Whitbread Chairman, Anthony Habgood said:

"I would like to thank Chris Rogers for his outstanding contribution to the development of Whitbread over his time as Finance Director.  We are fortunate to have his continued presence at the Board table as Managing Director of Costa Coffee.  I would also like to welcome Nicholas as our incoming Group Finance Director.  He will be an important additional member of Andy's top management team as Whitbread continues on its growth path."

Nicholas Cadbury commented:

"I feel privileged to be joining Whitbread and to be part of the management team at an exciting time in the Company's development as it seeks to strengthen its presence, both in the UK and overseas.  I look forward to the opportunity of using my retail consumer background and international experience to help drive its ambitious growth agenda."

For further information please contact:

Anna Glover, Whitbread PLC                 07768 917 651

Andrew Grant, Tulchan                         020 7353 4200

Nicholas Cadbury has advised that there are no details to disclose in accordance with paragraph 9.6.13(2) - (6) of the Listing Rules

Editors Notes

Whitbread PLC is the UK's largest hotel and restaurant group operating market-leading businesses in budget hotels, restaurants and coffee shops.  Its well-loved brands are Premier Inn, Beefeater, Brewers Fayre, Table Table, Taybarns and Costa.

Whitbread PLC employs over 40,000 people globally and serves over 20 million customers every month in over 2,000 outlets* across the UK.

Whitbread has outlined five-year growth milestones (to 2015/16) to increase the number of Premier Inn UK rooms to at least 65,000, add 80-100 new Restaurants and to nearly double the size of Costa with global system sales of £1.3bn and 3,500 stores worldwide.

In the year ended 1 March 2012, Whitbread PLC reported a 11.2% increase in Group Revenue to £1,778.0 million and Underlying Profit before tax of £320.1 million up 11.3%.

Whitbread PLC is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 100. It is also a member of the FTSE4Good Index.

*excludes Costa Franchise stores and Costa Express

 

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