Niall Howard steps down as CEO of Hakkasan Group

Niall Howard, chief executive officer of the Michelin-starred Hakkasan Group has stepped down.

Howard, who has been at the helm of the company since 2009 and has spearheaded its international expansion, is temporarily being replaced by Didier Souillat, the former chief operating officer, who is now the acting CEO. Hakkasan confirmed the news but declined to give reasons for Howard's departure.

Hakkasan currently operates 14 sites globally, four of which are Michelin-starred, including Hakkasan New York. The group is launching a number of new sites this year in locations including Las Vegas and Los Angeles and last year opened two new sites in London, with the opening of Japanese restaurant Chrysan and Chinese restaurant HKK, both in the City.

Howard was appointed CEO of Hakkasan in July 2009 to manage the continuing operations of the company and to lead it through a sustainable and successful future of strong performance and investment.

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