Ex-Spirit CEO now out to lunch

THE former CEO of Staffordshire pubco Spirit Pub Company has been made a non-executive director of The Restaurant Group.

Mike Tye, who joins the group’s board on April 4 and will also chair its remuneration committee, has extensive experience of the leisure and hospitality sector.

He stepped down from his last role last year when Spirit was acquired by rival Greene King in a £760m deal.

Spirit was a spin off from Punch Taverns and Mr Tye played a major role in establishing Spirit as a separate entity when it demerged from the larger group in 2011.

Previously he was a director at Punch Taverns and prior to that he held a variety of MD roles in Whitbread, including MD of David Lloyd Leisure, Premier Inn and Costa Coffee.

Tony Hughes, Senior Independent Director and current chair of the remuneration committee at the Restaurant Group since 2008 steps down in May. Current NED Simon Cloke will be appointed Senior Independent Director.  
 
A process is underway to recruit one further NED to chair the group’s audit committee.

Restaurant Group includes such well-known brands as Frankie & Benny’s, Chiquito and Garfunkel’s