Stonegate makes appointments to operating board

The UK’s biggest pub company has announced some changes to its operating board, following several key hires and promotions at Stonegate Group. 

Carol Campbell will join Stonegate as managing director for the Managed Business, which includes brands such as Slug & Lettuce, Be At One and Popworld, as well as a large unbranded estate.

Campbell was most recently retail director at Wickes and previously held senior roles at Walmart, Aldi and Woolworths, both in the UK and internationally. 

Lee Reed will join Stonegate as managing director for the Publican Partners business, the leased and tenanted part of the estate. 

Reed joins from pizza chain Papa Johns, where he was senior operations director, UK and International. Prior to this he spent nearly a decade at KFC in a variety of roles.

Finally, Stonegate has also announced that Frazer Grimbleby has been promoted to the role of managing director of Craft Union, the pubco's operator-led managed format. This is a new role to reflect the continued growth of the Craft Union division, which Stonegate is investing heavily as part of its conversion strategy. 

All three will formally join the operating board with effect from 8 April 2024. 

Welcoming a fresh perspective

The appointments of Reed and Grimbleby to the operating board follow the decision by Nick Andrews to retire. Andrews has spent nearly a decade at Stonegate Group, having joined in 2015 to oversee the Managed Pub business and most recently led both the Craft Union and Publican Partners businesses. 

"I am thrilled to announce these new hires and appointments to the operating board, which is a hugely significant and exciting milestone for our business," says David McDowall, CEO of Stonegate Group. "In Carol and Lee, we have hired exciting talent whose skills and experience from their respective sectors will provide a fresh perspective for our Managed and Pub Partners businesses. Frazer’s promotion is incredibly well-deserved and reflects stellar performance and the significant growth potential of the Craft Union business.

"I’d like to thank Nick for his considerable contribution to the business, in particular the work he has done to develop Craft Union which is now so key to our overall growth strategy. He still has a critical role to play in our business over the months ahead before enjoying his well-earned retirement.

"Above all, the new operating board structure reflects the equal significance of our three business units, compliments our strategy and provides the right platform to deliver our new mission of ‘Bringing People Together' through our passion for great pubs, bars, and venues."

You may also be interested in…