D&D London appoints Martin Williams as CEO
In 2014 William’s entrepreneurial drive led him to set up his own restaurant group; creating and launching the multi-faceted M venues
D&D London has appointed Martin Williams as its new chief executive officer, effective from 31 March 2025, as the group prepares to rebrand itself to The Evolv Collection from April.
Williams brings 25 years of business leadership experience as both a “multi-award-winning” restaurant entrepreneur and a “pioneering” CEO.
He worked as a managing director at Gaucho restaurants from 2004 to 2014. In 2014 William’s entrepreneurial drive led him to set up his own restaurant group; creating and launching the multi-faceted M venues.
2018 saw him awarded as a ‘Sunday Times – Maserati Top 100 British Entrepreneurs’, and he also took over the reins once more at Gaucho, merging his M venues into the company to create Rare Restaurants.
Williams said: “I am delighted to be joining such an amazing group of restaurants, many of which have a phenomenal legacy, which played no small part in my falling in love with the hospitality sector.
“I now look forward to taking stewardship of the company as it enters a new chapter of growth under the new Evolv Collection branding as each brand individually and collectively evolves. The recent performance results and awards show the excellent talent and potential of the team who I am excited to join and lead.”
Simon Wilkinson, board director of D&D London, added: “We are pleased to announce that Martin Williams has been appointed as our new chief executive officer. We have closely observed his career over an extended period and are confident that he will be an asset to our organisation. He joins us at a very exciting time for the business.
“After a focussed period of stabilisation and transformation we are very much looking forward to Martin leading us through the next stage of both organic and acquisitive growth. On the back of a record festive trading period, a strong January and the company’s first major refurbishment for many years, we are well positioned for Martin to evolve and grow the business further.”
