Tortilla Mexican Grill has announced that CEO Richard Morris will step down at the end of March, to be replaced by UK MD Andy Naylor
Morris was hailed for his distinguished 35-year career in hospitality, which includes a period as MD of Loch Fyne, and ten years with the company listed Mexican brand.
During his time at the helm he has navigated the brand through Brexit, Covid, the development of a franchise and delivery strategy, and the company’s IPO.
Naylor has worked alongside Morris for the last seven years, initially as CFO, and more recently as UK Managing Director.
They will continue to work closely together in the month ahead to ensure a smooth transition.
As previously announced, Maria Denny joins the business this month and the Board has now confirmed her appointment to chief financial officer. She will also join the board as an executive director.
Denny draws on a wealth of experience in the food and retail sector spanning 15 years’ having held senior finance and accounting positions at Muller UK and Ireland, Dairy Crest Limited and most recently as CFO – UK and Ireland at Signify, previously Philips Lighting.
Emma Woods, non-executive chair of Tortilla said: “On behalf of everyone here at Tortilla I would like to thank Richard for his significant contribution to the business over the last 10 years. Under Richard’s leadership Tortilla has expanded from 14 to 89 restaurants, including franchises in the Middle East and UK travel locations, establishing itself as the nation’s largest fast casual Mexican brand with a strong and expanding portfolio of exciting growth opportunities both in the UK and overseas.
“The board is delighted to confirm Andy Naylor’s appointment as CEO. A dynamic leader, Andy’s commercial expertise and growth mindset have seen him play a critical role in shaping Tortilla’s multi-channel and franchise business strategy. His deep expertise across Tortilla’s operations combined with an innovative approach to growth have positioned him as a natural successor to Richard’s highly impactful tenure. His appointment marks the start of an important new chapter for Tortilla as we leverage the business’s increasing scale and momentum to drive further UK and international expansion.
“We are also very pleased to confirm Maria’s appointment as chief financial officer and I look forward to working closely with both her and Andy as we continue to progress our long-term plans.”
Richard Morris, outgoing CEO, said: “After an incredible ten years with Tortilla, I feel this is the right time to step back and hand the burrito baton over to Andy and the team. It has been an extraordinary and exhilarating journey, bookmarked by huge events such as Brexit, Covid, the development of both our franchise and delivery strategy and, of course, an IPO. The business has proved highly adaptable and remains a market leading offer in the fast casual space.
“I leave behind a highly qualified and inspiring board and an outstanding executive team who are ready for the next stage of Tortilla’s development. It has been a privilege to work with such a talented group of people, our loyal customers, suppliers and wider stakeholders and I shall continue to cheerlead loudly from the sidelines.”
Andy Naylor, incoming CEO, added: “The Tortilla brand has huge potential and I am excited to be taking on the role of CEO. Recent years have seen the group take significant strides to expand our presence through our multi-channel business strategy and strengthen our platform for further profitable growth and I am looking forward to working with the team to accelerate this journey.”
