The Restaurant Group chair Debbie Hewitt to step down
The Restaurant Group (TRG) has announced that its chair, Debbie Hewitt, will be stepping down from the board on 31 December to chair the English Football Association.
TRG's board has commenced a formal process to recruit her successor led by Graham Clemett, senior independent director, and an announcement will be made in due course.
Chief executive Andy Hornby said: "On behalf of the board and everyone at TRG, I would like to thank Debbie for the significant contribution that she has made to the business. She is a proactive chairman who has built and led a high-quality board and proactively engaged with all stakeholders throughout her tenure.
"The FA have chosen Debbie for her extensive chair expertise across a wide range of business sectors, and there is no doubt that TRG has benefitted from that experience. We wish her every success in this new role."
Hewitt added: "TRG is a fantastic business, full of outstanding people, who care passionately about our customers and the food and service they deliver. The group has undergone a substantial transformation since I joined in 2015, and it now has a stronger customer ethos, a stronger group of brands and a first-class team.
"Under Andy Hornby's outstanding leadership, the company has emerged stronger from the pandemic and is poised for growth through all of its channels. I remain fully committed to working with Andy and Graham for the rest of the year to ensure the recruitment of a strong successor and a smooth transition."
No payments will be made to Hewitt in connection with her stepping down from the board, other than her usual non-executive fees paid pro-rata.
TRG, which has a portfolio of brands including Wagamama, Frankie & Benny's and Chiquito, reported total revenues of £459.8m in its last financial results and a statutory loss before tax of £127.6m.
Over the past year the group has restructured, which saw it exit approximately 250 sites, including through a company voluntary arrangement (CVA), which primarily affected its Frankie & Benny's brand, and the administration of Chiquito and Food & Fuel, leaving it with around 400 sites.
