Former New World Trading Company CEO Chris Hill joins Rooney Anand’s RedCat Pub Company

Chris Hill, former chief executive of the New World Trading Company, has joined Rooney Anand’s RedCat Pub Company as chief executive.

After confirming former Greene King chief executive Anand’s creation of the pub company and its £200m fundraise backed by Oaktree last week, the group announced its senior leadership team and non-executives this morning.

Sharon Badelek, former chief financial officer and board member of retirement village company Inspired Villages Group has been appointed chief financial officer, while Richard Croft and Sir Charles Bowman have joined as non-executive directors.

Badelek was previously chief financial officer and chief executive of bar and nightclub operator Novus Leisure. Croft is executive chairman of M7 Real Estate, while Sir Charles is an advisor to PwC and served as lord mayor of London in 2017 and 2018.

Executive chairman Anand said: “It speaks volumes about the fundamentals and potential for the sector that RedCat has been able to bring together such a strong bench of talent so quickly after the founding of the company. We are building something completely new and having the right mix of seasoned industry-leading experts and fresh talent is crucial. Sharon, Chris, Richard and Charles have exceptional track records and their highly complementary skills will help underpin our success, ensuring the pubs we buy, and operators we partner with, flourish.”

RedCat will look to acquire retail and tenanted pubs across the UK, with a focus in the east, south east and south regions, including single assets and larger-scale organisations.