Whitbread to call Severn Trent’s Hodgson as new chair

The chair of Severn Trent, the FTSE-100 water firm, is so as to add to her portfolio of directorships by taking the helm of Whitbread, the Premier Inn-owner.

Sky Information has learnt that Christine Hodgson has been chosen as the popular candidate to interchange Adam Crozier as Whitbread’s chairman.

Metropolis sources stated her appointment might be introduced as early as subsequent week.

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Mr Crozier, who has chaired the leisure group since 2018, is anticipated to step down later this 12 months.

Ms Hodgson has some expertise of the leisure trade, having served on the board of Ladbrokes Coral Group till 2017.

Beneath Mr Crozier’s stewardship, Whitbread has been radically reshaped, promoting its Costa Espresso subsidiary to The Coca-Cola Firm in 2019 for practically £4bn.

The corporate has additionally seen off an activist marketing campaign spearheaded by Elliott Advisers, whereas Mr Crozier orchestrated the appointment of Dominic Paul, its chief govt, following Alison Brittain’s retirement.

It stated final 12 months that it sees potential to develop the Premier Inn community from 86,000 UK bedrooms to 125,000 over the following decade or so.

The corporate has additionally been exploring the sale of a few of its pub and restaurant operations.

On Thursday, shares in Whitbread have been buying and selling at round £28.41, giving the corporate a market capitalisation of about £4.8bn.

Whitbread declined to remark.