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Hotel Chocolat Group plc, a direct-to-consumer premium chocolate brand, has announced the appointment of Stephen Alexander as the company’s non-executive chair, effective on 5 May 2023.
Alexander has held numerous chair roles of public and private equity-backed companies, predominantly in the consumer sector, for more than 20 years, including Dairy Crest, Immediate Media, Rhubarb Foods, EMI Group, Odeon Cinemas, AWAS Aircraft Leasing and Meridien Hotels.
Prior to this, he was chief executive of Hillsdown Holdings, before which he spent 17 years at Allied Domecq, where he was chief executive of both the Food and Retailing Divisions including 4,500 pubs and 9,000 fast food restaurants. He has also chaired the charities Look Ahead and Employment Autism.
Alexander is currently an operating partner with private equity group OpCapita LLP.
It also confirmed that he does not currently hold any ordinary shares in Hotel Chocolat.
It comes after Hotel Chocolat previously revealed Andrew Gerrie will step down as the company’s chair and member of the board with his resignation effective from 4 May 2023.
The company also confirmed that Jon Akehurst will join as CFO and an executive board director on 15 May 2023.
Further to the announcement on 2 February 2023, Akehurst is a chartered accountant, and his career includes management and leadership roles with General Mills, Mars, Aggreko and most recently at Terumo Corporation as CFO of their Aortic division.
It said he has “extensive experience” across branded goods, manufacturing and international development.
Angus Thirlwell, co-founder and CEO, said: “Stephen’s significant experience chairing companies in the food manufacturing and retail space in the UK and overseas will be invaluable as we take the business through its next chapter of growth. With Jon joining our team too, we have materially boosted the leadership and Board firepower. I am looking forward to working closely with them both.
“I would like to thank Andrew Gerrie, our outgoing chair, for all he has brought to Hotel Chocolat during his tenure as we scaled from brand revenues of £80m to £200m.”
