Whitbread has announced the appointment of a new single senior management team for its hotels and restaurants business, headed by Patrick Dempsey.
Mark Phillips, who is currently managing director of Whitbread’s pub and restaurant division, will be leaving the company at the end of the month, following the group’s decision to combine the operations of the two divisions.
Dempsey, who was previously head of Premier Inn, is to be managing director of Whitbread’s newly named Hotels & Restaurants arm. Prior to joining the company, he was managing director of Forte Hotels UK and chief executive of Restaurant Associates, part of the Compass Group.
The new team will also include Paul Flaum as chief operating officer for the UK, Mark Anderson as UK property director and Colin Elliot as chief operating officer for its international business.
Flaum was previously Premier Inn’s chief operating officer, Anderson served as estates director across all the group’s businesses and Elliot held the post of finance director for Premier Inn.
The new team also includes Andy Pellington as finance director, Gerard Tempest as marketing director, Ben Wishart as change and information director and Maria Horn as human resources director.
Alan Parker, the group’s chief executive, said: “This is an outstanding management team led by Patrick Dempsey, a highly experienced managing director.
“They will be responsible for continuing the rapid expansion of the business in the UK and abroad, as well as maintaining the current excellent growth in sales and profits.”
