Friis joins the pub group from Ole & Steen (Lagkagehuset) where he led the bakery business’s expansion from 35 to more than 100 outlets, including in the UK and New York. Previous to this, he spent three years running the €2.6bn (£2.27bn) Western European arm of Carlsberg Group.
On his new appointment, Friis said: “I am very grateful for this opportunity. NWTC has great brands, built on strong principles and values.
“This is patently an extremely challenging time for the industry but I am looking forward to continuing the impressive work that has been done by my predecessor Chris Hill and his team.”
Consultant work
Hill helped build NWTC over the past seven years from two to 28 venues and won numerous awards with the company including Business Leader of the Year at the 2018 Publican Awards.
He will continue to be involved with the business as a consultant, working on special projects over the coming months.
On his departure as CEO, he said: “I am hugely privileged to have led and worked alongside the incredible people at NWTC. The unrivalled culture, pioneering teams and ambitious brands we designed and built together are truly amazing.
“I leave with invaluable experiences to take into my next chapter. NWTC is an exceptional business and I wish Jesper and all the NWTC teams great success with the company’s ambitious future plans.”
Ongoing advice
NWTC chairman Justin Ash said Hill had shown exceptional leadership in building a unique proposition across NWTC’s brands.
He added: “His achievements have been rightly and widely recognised and we wish him well in his future endeavours and look forward to benefiting from his ongoing advice.
“Jesper brings an impressive track record of scaling up successful businesses and of making them expand profitably at pace, with a powerful focus on customer satisfaction.
“His proven leadership lands at a critical time for the business and I, and the board, look forward to working with him as he takes NWTC forward.”