New finance chief for Whitbread
Hotel and drinks group Whitbread has appointed a demerger specialist from the retail world as its next finance director.
The company said today that Woolworths' finance director Christopher Rogers would succeed David Richardson as finance director from 1 May next year.
Rogers, 44, joined Kingfisher, then owner of Woolworths, in 1988, and before that was an accountant at Price Waterhouse.
Whitbread chief executive Alan Parker said: "Chris played a lead role in the demerger of the Woolworths Group from Kingfisher and has been an important part of the team that has significantly improved the performance of the Woolworths Group over the last three years."
He would bring a strong retail and commercial background to the group, Parker added.
It is disposing of about 50 of its less-profitable pub-restaurants and its London head office.
It is also planning to float off its Britvic soft drinks business between 2005 and 2008.
by Nic Paton
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