BaxterStorey appoints Chris Mitchell to new COO position

Chris Mitchell, Genuine Dining and Portico CEO, has been appointed as BaxterStorey’s inaugural chief operating officer.

In his new role Mitchell will helm operations across the contract catering group’s UK, Ireland and Netherlands businesses and report directly to CEO Ronan Harte.

As a result of this expanded remit Mitchell will step down as CEO of Genuine Dining, which he has helmed since 2011 and which was acquired by WSH in 2024.

He will be succeeded by Genuine Dining’s managing director Tim Axe.

Mitchell will continue to helm Portico, which he joined in January 2025, as part of his widened group remit.

Since Mitchell joined WSH in 2024, he has made a "significant contribution across the group, earning a reputation for strong leadership, operational excellence and an unwavering focus on client and team experience", according to press materials. 

BaxterStorey CEO Ronan Harte said: “One of the great strengths of WSH is our ability to bring exceptional businesses and talented people into the group and create opportunities for them to grow. Chris’s appointment is a fantastic example of that. Since joining WSH through the Group Genuine partnership, he has made a significant impact, and this next step reflects both his contribution and the opportunities that exist within our business.”

Mitchell added: "I am incredibly excited to be joining BaxterStorey in this role. Having admired the business for many years, I have always been impressed by its ambition, the quality of its people and its constant desire to challenge what great hospitality can look like. Since becoming part of WSH, that admiration has only grown.

“My focus will be on listening, learning and building relationships across the business, while supporting our teams as we continue to build on the incredible success already achieved."

Earlier this month the contract catering group extended its British Airways partnership to 2035 and appointed Kirsty Hurst-Worth as regional director of British Airways’ UK lounge operations.