Appointment of Chair and Board Changes
03/05/2023 07:00
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RNS Number : 1911Y Hotel Chocolat Group PLC 03 May 2023
3 May 2023
HOTEL CHOCOLAT GROUP PLC
("Hotel Chocolat", the "Company" or the "Group")
Appointment of Chair and Board Changes
Hotel Chocolat Group plc, a direct-to-consumer premium chocolate brand, is
pleased to announce the appointment of Stephen Alexander as the Company's
Non-Executive Chair, effective on 5 May 2023.
Stephen has held numerous Chair roles of public and private equity-backed
companies, predominantly in the consumer sector, for more than 20 years,
including Dairy Crest, Immediate Media, Rhubarb Foods, EMI Group, Odeon
Cinemas, AWAS Aircraft Leasing and Meridien Hotels. Prior to this, Stephen was
Chief Executive of Hillsdown Holdings, before which he spent 17 years at
Allied Domecq, where he was Chief Executive of both the Food and Retailing
Divisions including 4,500 pubs and 9,000 fast food restaurants. He has also
chaired the charities Look Ahead and Employment Autism.
Stephen is currently an Operating Partner with private equity group OpCapita
LLP.
In accordance with Schedule 2(g) of the AIM Rules for Companies, the names of
all companies and partnerships of which Stephen Harold Alexander, aged 67, is
or has been a director or partner at any time in the previous five years are
set out below:
Current directorships and/or partnerships
Previous directorships and/or partnerships (in the last five years)
Employment Autism Trustee Limited Westwick Fruit Farms Limited
Stemin Investments Dairy Crest Group Limited
Immediate Investments La Sirena Alimentacion Congelada SAU
Sebeto S.P.A.
Rosso Topco S.P.A.
Stephen does not currently hold any ordinary shares in Hotel Chocolat.
Save as set out in this announcement, there are no further details to be
disclosed under Rule 17 or Schedule 2(g) of the AIM Rules for Companies in
respect of Stephen.
In addition, as previously announced, Andrew Gerrie will step down as the
Company's Chair and member of the Board with his resignation effective from 4
May 2023.
The Company also confirms that Jon Akehurst will join the Company as Chief
Financial Officer and an Executive Board Director on 15 May 2023. Further to
the announcement on 2 February 2023, Jon is a Chartered Accountant, and his
career includes management and leadership roles with General Mills, Mars,
Aggreko and most recently at Terumo Corporation as CFO of their Aortic
division. He has extensive experience across branded goods, manufacturing and
international development.
Angus Thirlwell, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Hotel Chocolat,
said:
"Stephen's significant experience chairing companies in the food manufacturing
and retail space in the UK and overseas will be invaluable as we take the
business through its next chapter of growth. With Jon joining our team too, we
have materially boosted the leadership and Board firepower. I am looking
forward to working closely with them both.
I would like to thank Andrew Gerrie, our outgoing Chair, for all he has
brought to Hotel Chocolat during his tenure as we scaled from brand revenues
of £80m to £200m."
Enquiries:
Hotel Chocolat Group PLC Tel: +44 (0) 1763 257 746
Angus Thirlwell, Co-Founder and CEO
Peter Harris, Co-Founder, and Interim CFO
Liberum (Nominated Adviser and Sole Broker) Tel: +44 (0) 20 3100 2000
Clayton Bush
Edward Thomas
Miquela Bezuidenhoudt
Citigate Dewe Rogerson Tel: + 44 (0) 20 7638 9571
Angharad Couch
Ellen Wilton
Alex Winch
Notes to Editors:
Hotel Chocolat is a premium British chocolate maker with a strong and
distinctive D2C brand. The business was founded by Angus Thirlwell and Peter
Harris, who are still executives within the business, and has traded under the
Hotel Chocolat brand since 2003. The Group is unusual in being a grower
(organic cacao farm in Saint Lucia), a manufacturer (Cambridgeshire) and
owning its extensive direct to consumer channels (branded stores, websites).
The Group was admitted to trading on AIM in 2016.
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