SSP appoints new UK & Ireland CEO

SSP Group has appointed Richard Lewis chief executive of its UK and Ireland business, replacing Simon Smith who has been promoted to the group chief executive role following the departure of Kate Swann.

On 1 September, Lewis will join the travel caterer from pub company Greene King, where for the past two years he has held the role of chief operating officer. He will sit on the company's group executive team and report into Smith.

Smith said: "I'm absolutely delighted to be welcoming Richard to the SSP team. With experience in operations, commercial, property and general management, and a track record of delivering strong financial performance, he's the perfect fit for the role."

Lewis added: "I'm hugely excited to be joining SSP UK & Ireland and moving into the travel F&B arena. SSP is a fantastic businesses with a great team, and many opportunities for future growth. I look forward to continuing the success that Simon achieved in the role these past five years."

SSP operates food and beverage concessions in approximately 600 sites including airports, train stations and motorway service stations and other leisure locations. The group has more than 37,000 employees, serving approximately 1.5 million customers every day, and operates more than 2,600 units in 33 countries around the world.

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