Steven Whibley is reportedly to step down as managing director of Le Pain Quotidien UK, the continental coffee shop and bakery business.
According to reports, Whibley is leaving the company to concentrate on starting his own business in the restaurant sector. There is currently no news on his successor.
Whibley became managing director of the UK arm of the company in May 2010, after Philippe Le Roux had stepped down earlier that year. He was previously the company's UK operations director.
Le Pain was founded in the early 1990s in Belgium by chef Alain Coumont and currently has more than 80 stores in more than 10 countries worldwide including France, the Middle East, Russia, Switzerland and the US, where it is now based.
The UK part of the business was acquired by its parent company for between £10m and £15m in 2009. The company currently operates 17 sites across London.
