Whitbread PLC: Appoints New Managing Director for Costa

Dunstable / UK. (wbp) British Whitbread PLC announces that Christopher Rogers, Managing Director of Costa Coffee and an executive director on the Whitbread PLC Board, has decided to leave the company. He will be stepping down from the Board following the next Board meeting on 20th April. Dominic Paul has been appointed to succeed Chris as the new Managing Director for Costa and will take up his new role on 06th June. To support Dominic and ensure a smooth transition, Chris Rogers will remain with the company until 01st July.

Dominic joins from Royal Caribbean International where he has been Senior Vice President International since November 2013. Dominic is responsible for the international business outside of the company’s US operations and has been particularly focussed on growing the business in Asia Pacific and China where Royal Caribbean is now the largest cruise brand. Dominic joined Royal Caribbean International in 2010 from bmi, where he was Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer, having developed his earlier career in customer service and operational roles in the airline industry at British Airways, Go fly and easyJet.

Chairman Richard Baker said: «Chris has made an immense contribution to Whitbread over the last eleven years. He joined Whitbread as Finance Director in 2005 and played a leading role in the transformation of the Group to a more focused and profitable business. He then took the helm at Costa in 2012 and under his leadership Costa has grown rapidly from under 2’500 stores to over 3’200 today and is firmly established as the UK’s favourite coffee shop chain. On behalf of all my Board colleagues, I should like to thank him for all he has done over the years and, more recently, for his support and typical professionalism in enabling a smooth succession planning process. We wish him every success in the future».

CEO Alison Brittain said: «During his tenure Chris has played a key role in establishing the successful Group that we have today, and I would like to take this opportunity to thank him for this and to wish him well in the future. I am delighted that Dominic Paul will be joining Whitbread to lead Costa in its next exciting stage of growth. Dominic brings a wealth of experience in the travel and leisure industry, both here in the UK and overseas and his recent experience is particularly relevant for Costa’s international growth plans. His passion for delivering outstanding customer experiences and track record of delivering growth in customer-focused hospitality businesses makes him the perfect fit for Costa».