Young's, the London pub operator and brewer, has announced that Chris Sandland is to stand down as non-executive chairman and be replaced by current non-executive director Nick Bryan.
Sandland, who joined Young's in 1973 and retired as executive director in April 2006, is to stand down and retire from the board at the company’s AGM on 12 July.
Bryan, co-founder and chief executive of national drinks dispense company Innserve Group, joined the board of Young’s as a non-executive director in 2006.
Sandland said: “Much has been achieved over the past five years. We have made the successful transition from being a vertically-integrated brewing business to one focused on running and developing an estate of premium managed houses in London and the South East, where we strongly believe the greatest profit opportunity lies.
"The recent acquisition of Geronimo represented a significant step in that strategy, adding 26 premium sites to our managed estate and opening up new growth opportunities to us. Against this background of significant change, we have retained a robust balance sheet.
“Therefore, whilst after 38 years I will inevitably retire with some sadness, I will also leave knowing that Young’s is in excellent strategic, operational and financial shape. In Nick Bryan, we have a first-rate successor to the role of non-executive chairman - he understands our business and our industry extremely well, and I know that he will provide the leadership, and the support to Stephen Goodyear and his executive team, to ensure that Young’s continues to grow and to flourish in the future.”
Stephen Goodyear, chief executive of Young’s, said: “Chris Sandland has been a phenomenal servant to Young’s over four decades. He took on the role of chairman in 2006 at a pivotal time in our development, and has led Young’s very successfully into a new era. I know that shareholders, my fellow board members, and colleagues from across the company will want to join me in thanking him for everything he has done for Young’s over the past 38 years, and to wish him a very long and happy retirement.
“Looking ahead, I am delighted that Nick Bryan has agreed to succeed Chris as non-executive chairman. He is extremely experienced, has played a valuable role as a non-executive director over the past five years, and I am very much looking forward to continuing to work with him in the future.”
