New Greene King chief executive announced

Greene King announced Anand would be stepping down from his role​ after 14 years of service in November last year.

Anand was managing director of Greene King Brewing Company before succeeding Tim Bridge as chief executive in 2004 after joining the Greene King board in 2001.

During his 14 years, the Suffolk-based brewer and operator has grown from 1,988 pubs (800 managed), turnover of £732m and earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) of £190m in 2005 to more than 2,800 pubs (1,700 managed), turnover of £2.2bn last year and EBITDA of £487m.

The company team has also grown significantly from employing 16,000 to 39,000 people in the same period.

New appointment

Nick Mackenzie will succeed Anand on 1 May 2019 from Merlin, where as a member of the executive committee, he is currently responsible for the Midway portfolio of attractions.

This comprises more than 100 businesses around the world including Madame Tussauds, the London Eye and Sea Life aquariums.

He qualified as a chartered surveyor, working first with Bass and then with Allied Domecq as its acquisitions direction before joining Burger King as its development director.

Mackenzie joined The Tussauds Group in 2002, which was subsequently acquired by Merlin in 2007 where he remained to head up its property and development group.

He became managing director at Resort Theme Parks in 2011 before moving across to lead the Midway business in 2015.

He is also currently an independent non-executive director of pub group Thwaites – a role he will be relinquishing before taking up his executive role at Greene King.

Comprehensive search

Greene King chairman Philip Yea said: “After a comprehensive search we feel Mackenzie’s broad experience and track record at one of the world’s leading leisure businesses as well as his knowledge of the pub business in his early career and more recently as a non-executive, make him the best candidate to lead Greene King through its next phase.

“We are looking forward to Mackenzie taking up his role when Anand steps down at the end of the current financial year.”

Mackenzie lauded his new appointment and is looking to secure the Greene King business as the best of its kind in the country.

He said: “Greene King is a very strong business with a great portfolio of pubs and beer brands and a real commitment to its customers, staff and shareholders.

“I am looking forward to working with my new colleagues to deliver on our vision to be the best pub company and brewer in Britain.”