Alex Ricketts named local accounts managing director at Eurest

Alex Ricketts has been appointed local accounts managing director for workplace caterer Eurest, part of Compass Group UK and Ireland.

Ricketts has spent 15 years at the contract catering giant, where he was previously strategic partnerships director for Eurest.

He is tasked with accelerating the growth of the brand within the business and industry sector through the provision of DJ pop-ups, outdoor barbecues and diverse cuisines on clients’ requests.

Ricketts said: “This is an exciting time for Eurest and I am proud to have been part of our journey so far. Delivering a tailored and personal contract catering service that smaller and single site partners desire is something I am passionate about.

“Our ethos is to be seen as part of the team for our client partners and to have a personable one-on-one relationship with them – but with the size and scale of Compass Group UK and Ireland behind us. That’s a powerful combination.”

Morag Freathy, chief executive of Compass Group UK and Ireland’s business and industry (B&I) sector, added: “I’m delighted to see Alex take on this crucial role for Eurest and it is an important appointment for the business. Alex’s energy, drive and collaborative leadership style have made him extremely popular with colleagues and clients alike over many years. He has helped develop our strategic vision and knows Eurest inside out. I’m confident this is a role in which he will excel even more.”

Eurest International was acquired by Compass in 1995. It won the Foodservice Cateys Business and Industry Caterer of the Year award in 2022, as well as the CSER category in three consecutive years between 2021 and 2023.