Tortilla names new CEO
Andy Naylor has worked alongside former CEO Richard Morris for the last seven years, initially as chief financial officer and most recently as UK managing director
Tortilla has announced the appointment of Andy Naylor as its new incoming chief executive officer, following news that Richard Morris will be stepping down from the role at the end of March.
Morris has had a 35-year career within hospitality, with 10 years being spent at Tortilla. Naylor has worked alongside him for the last seven years, initially as chief financial officer and most recently as UK managing director.
The incoming CEO and former CEO will continue to work closely together in the month ahead to “ensure a smooth transition”.
Meanwhile, Maria Denny has joined the business this month as chief financial officer, having a wealth of experience in the food and retail sector spanning 15 years. She has previously held finance and accounting positions at Muller UK&I, Dairy Crest Limited, and most recently was the CFO of Signify UK&I.
Emma Woods, non-executive chair of Tortilla, said: “On behalf of everyone here at Tortilla I would like to thank Richard for his significant contribution to the business over the last 10 years. Under Richard’s leadership, Tortilla has expanded from 14 to 89 restaurants, including franchises in the Middle East and UK travel locations, establishing itself as the nation’s largest fast casual Mexican brand with a strong and expanding portfolio of exciting growth opportunities both in the UK and overseas.
“The board is delighted to confirm Andy Naylor’s appointment as CEO. His appointment marks the start of an important new chapter for Tortilla as we leverage the business’s increasing scale and momentum to drive further UK and international expansion.”
She added: “We are also very pleased to confirm Maria’s appointment as CFO and I look forward to working closely with both her and Andy as we continue to progress our long-term plans.”
Naylor said: “The Tortilla brand has huge potential and I am excited to be taking on the role of CEO. Recent years have seen the group take significant strides to expand our presence through our multi-channel business strategy and strengthen our platform for further profitable growth and I am looking forward to working with the team to accelerate this journey.”
