Whitbread names Domino’s boss as new CEO

The board of Whitbread PLC (Whitbread) has announced that Dominic Paul has been appointed as its next CEO. He will succeed Alison Brittain, who has decided to retire from full time executive life at the end of the financial year 2023. Paul will join the company early in January 2023. Paul is an experienced senior executive, with experience in operational and commercial record in the travel, leisure, and hospitality sector, and most recently served as CEO of Domino's Pizza Group plc. He led the business through the Covid pandemic and has delivered a strong period of sales growth. He joins having been a member of the Whitbread executive committee and managing director of Costa Coffee for three years, overseeing its growth in both the UK and internationally. Prior to this, Paul was senior vice president of International with Royal Caribbean Cruise Line where he led the business through a period of strong growth. His experience in the travel and leisure industry includes senior roles at easyJet, British Midland and British Airways. Adam Crozier, chairman, said: "We are delighted to welcome back Dominic to the Group as our new chief executive. Following an extensive search and thorough evaluation of high-quality candidates we are confident Dominic's great track record of growing and transforming consumer brands in the UK and internationally will help to lead Whitbread in the next stage of the Group's development. “I would like to take this opportunity on behalf of the Board and the Whitbread team to thank Alison for her leadership over the last seven years. She has guided the company brilliantly over that time: developing and then selling Costa for £3.9bn, growing and innovating our award-winning UK customer proposition, firmly establishing Germany to be a substantial engine of future growth.” Paul said: "I am delighted to have been selected to return and lead Whitbread, a business with a fantastic heritage and an exciting future both in the UK and internationally. Whitbread has a well-founded strategy, a very strong customer proposition, and significant opportunities for future growth. I am looking forward to working with Adam and the whole Whitbread team to deliver for our customers, teams, and shareholders." Brittain said: "It has been an enormous privilege to lead Whitbread during a period of significant expansion for our well-loved brands, in both the UK and in Germany. The business has recovered from the pandemic well ahead of expectations and is continuing to trade strongly and gain market share. We are well positioned for continued outperformance and future growth. “I will continue to be fully committed to the business over the next few months until it's time to hand over the baton and I wish Dominic and the whole Whitbread team every success for the future."