 |
Voice of experience: Former BAA Group Retail Director Barry Gibson |
UK. SSP has announced a newly appointed Board including four Non-Executive Directors who are well known to the international travel, retail and food service industries.
SSP will continue to be managed by Chief Executive Officer Andrew Lynch and his executive team, who have all transferred from Compass Group upon completion of the sale of SSP to leading European private equity firm EQT on 15 June.
Barry Gibson began his career in retailing in 1970 at Littlewoods. Having joined BAA as Group Retail Director in 1988, Gibson was responsible for the initial development and implementation of BAA’s successful retail strategy, which included the creation of its duty free retail subsidiary World Duty Free. In 1997 he re-joined Littlewoods as Group Chief Executive. He is currently Chairman of Harding Bros Duty Free and The Cotswolds Company, and on the Boards of William Hill, National Express Group and Homeserve.
Vagn Soerensen joins the Board as Non-Executive Chairman. Soerensen was CEO of Austrian Airlines Group. He was previously Executive Vice President and Deputy CEO of SAS Airlines and is a past Chairman of the Association of European Airlines. A member of the Board of Governors of IATA, he currently holds the position of Vice Chairman of both TDC and DFDS and is Chairman of a number of other market-leading companies, including De Ster.
Lena Andersson Hofsberger joined SSP in 1978 when it was still part of SAS Group. She transferred with SSP when it was acquired by Compass Group in 1993, and was CEO from 1990 through to 1999. She is currently CEO of Aleris, a leading Nordic private healthcare company.
Dennis Malamatinas is the former CEO of the Burger King Corporation and a former Director at both Diageo and Reuters. During his time at Diageo Malamatinas held many senior management roles, including Head of the Far East region for IDV, President of Smirnoff and President of Metaxa. He was also a founding Partner and Chairman of Priceline Europe and prior to joining Diageo held senior roles at Procter & Gamble and Pepsi Co.
They will be joined on the Board by four representatives from EQT.
Commenting on the Board appointments, Lynch said: “I am delighted that we will be supported by a group of highly experienced and respected individuals with such relevant experience. They will make a great contribution to the future development of SSP.”
About SSP and EQT
SSP is the leading provider of food & beverage services in travel locations worldwide. It operates a broad portfolio of international and national brands as well as its own tailor-made concepts in 26 countries around the world. Around 20,000 employees serve 5 million customers everyday in over 2000 restaurants, bars, cafés, convenience stores and food courts across major airports, railway stations and shopping centres.
EQT is a leading European private equity group which invests in attractive, growing, high quality companies in growing industries. Founded in 1994, EQT currently manages approximately €6 billion in eight funds. In total, EQT funds have invested approximately €4 billion in about 40 companies.
MORE STORIES ON SSP
SSP opens Starbucks at Glasgow Prestwick – 15/06/06
SSP gives Newcastle Airport a taste of real food – 14/06/06
Heineken and SSP partner in pioneering bar at Hong Kong International Airport – 16/05/06
SSP wins exclusive F&B contract at Egypt’s Sharm el Sheikh International Airport – 16/05/06
SSP wins key F&B contract at Bangkok’s new Suvarnabhumi Airport – 10/05/06
