Whittard of Chelsea CEO departs

Tea and coffee specialist Whittard of Chelsea’s chief executive Mark Dunhill has resigned, with finance chief Nathan Smith taking the role.

Dunhill tended his resignation on 31 July after five years at the retailer. He led the restructure of the retailer, and was involved in the “revitalisation” of its product portfolio, store design and layout and upgrading the customer experience.

Whittard was bought out of a pre-pack administration in 2008 for £600,000 by private equity firm Epic, and posted pre-tax profits of £327,000 on sales of £34m according to its latest accounts.

A statement from the company said: “On behalf of the board and all his colleagues around the UK, we would like to thank Mark for his contribution and wish him well with the next challenge in his career. The business has strong momentum. The board believes in the strategy and the exciting prospects ahead for Whittard.”