Dame Karen Jones among Punch Pubs’ strategic advisor appointments

Punch Pubs & Co has appointed three strategic advisors to the board, including Dame Karen Jones, current non-executive director of Whitbread and Mowgli.

The independent company, which has 1,300 pubs across the UK, has also welcomed John Colley, executive chairman and chief executive of Majestic Wine, and Hamish Stoddart, co-founder and former managing director of Peach Pubs.

The group said the trio will “help shape the future direction of Punch”.

Jones is also senior independent director at Deliveroo, co-chair of the Hospitality Sector Council alongside minister for hospitality, Kevin Hollinrake, and co-founder of Café Rouge.

She was previously co-founder of Food and Fuel, which was sold to the Restaurant Group in 2018. Jones also served as executive chair of Prezzo between 2018 and 2022 and as chief executive of Spirit Group for seven years, which was sold to Punch in 2006.

Colley spent 17 years in senior roles with Kingfisher, including as group chief trading officer and commercial director at Screwfix, while Stoddart was responsible for overseeing 20 sustainable gastropubs in the South of England and the Midlands.

Clive Chesser, chief executive of Punch Pubs, said: “This is an exciting time for Punch and all three individuals bring wide ranging sector experience and a broad range of invaluable skills.

“Karen is an absolute industry heavyweight, John boasts valuable retail experience, whilst Hamish is an innovative pioneer for culture and sustainability in hospitality.”

In December 2021, Punch Pubs & Co was acquired by Fortress Investment Group, a US-based investor owned by Japan's SoftBank, for an undisclosed sum.