Byron hopes to bolster customer service with new director's appointment

Byron Hamburgers has appointed the former customer director of pub firm EI Group as its new commercial and brand director.

Steve de Polo's appointment is aimed at bolstering the troubled casual dining firm's customer services capabilities, following its CVA in January this year.

As part of his role at EI Group, de Polo was in charge of sales and marketing, digital, food, insight and concept development for the group.

He also led the Bermondsey Pub Company through a formative stage as it grew from 10 to 30 pubs.

Prior to joining EI Group, he worked for Mitchells and Butlers across a variety of operational, change and strategic marketing roles, as well as leading the integration of the Orchid Group following its acquisition from Deutsche Bank in 2012.

He will start his new role at Byron in June and lead the casual dining firm's marketing, menu development and supply chain functions.

He will report directly to Byron's CEO, Simon Cope.

Cope said: "I am delighted to welcome Steve to the Byron team. 2018 is proving an important, pivotal year for Byron and Steve's best-in-class experience delivering consumer-centric changes in a commercially focused way will prove invaluable to this new chapter in our growth and development. I am looking forward to working with Steve as we take Byron to the next level of customer service delivery."

Earlier this year, Byron announced the closure of "a number" of its restaurants, thought to be around 20, following the approval of a Company Voluntary Arrangement (CVA), as it struggled with a tough casual dining market.

Number of Byron restaurants to close as creditors approve CVA >>

Simon Cope to join Byron Hamburgers as MD from Wagamama >>

Restaurants openings in 2017 show signs of saturation ahead of casual-dining crisis >>

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