Travel dining specialist SSP Group has appointed Andrew Martin as Chair of the Board, effective 1 June, alongside his role as Chair of the Nomination Committee.
The highly respected executive will replace Carolyn Bradley, who has held the interim position since the AGM on 23 January.
Bradley will continue to serve on the Board as Senior Independent Director.
Martin is widely recognised for his extensive background across global consumer, travel, hospitality and support services.
He concludes his tenure at Intertek Group plc in May, having served five years as Chair and ten years in total as Non-Executive Director for the FTSE 100 company.
Martin previously chaired Hays and held Non-Executive Directorships at easyJet and John Lewis Partnership, where he also led the Audit and Risk Committee.
From 2004 to 2015, Martin was a Board-level executive at Compass Group, serving as both Group Chief Operating Officer for Europe and Japan and Group Finance Director.
Before that, he was Group Finance Director of First Choice Holidays plc (now part of TUI Group).
Martin is a Chartered Accountant.
Bradley said, “After a thorough and rigorous recruitment and selection process, I am delighted to welcome Andrew as Chair Designate of SSP.
“He brings extensive experience in finance, execution, governance and corporate stewardship, along with a proven track record of Board leadership. He also has deep sector knowledge underpinned by his tenure at Compass.
“The Board believes his expertise will be invaluable as we pursue opportunities to accelerate performance and create shareholder value. I look forward to working closely with him in my continuing role as Senior Independent Director.”
Martin added: “I am delighted to be joining the Board of SSP as Chair. The company operates in an attractive industry and has a strong business model with clear opportunities for value creation.
“I look forward to working with the Board, Patrick [Coveney, CEO] and the broader leadership team to drive strong execution of the ‘Focus26’ agenda and to help shape strategy to deliver strengthened value for shareholders and other stakeholders.” 
