Board of directors
The Board of directors consists of the Chairman, three executive directors and five independent non-executive directors. Information on changes to the Board during the year can be found in the directors' report.
Anthony Habgood
Position:
Chairman (since August 2005)
Date of appointment to the Board:
May 2005
Age:
63
Committee membership:
Nomination Committee (Chairman), Remuneration Committee
External appointments:
Reed Elsevier PLC and NV (Chairman)
Previous experience:
Director of The Boston Consulting Group Inc from 1977 to 1986.
Director, and then Chief Executive of Tootal Group PLC until 1991.
Chief Executive and then Chairman of Bunzl PLC until 2009. Having
been Chairman of Mölnlycke Healthcare (UK) Limited he has also held
non-executive directorships at Geest PLC, Marks and Spencer Group
plc, National Westminster Bank Plc, Powergen plc and SVG Capital
PLC.
Alan Parker, CBE
Position:
Chief Executive (since June 2004)
Date of appointment to the Board:
May 2000 - retiring in November 2010
Age:
63
Committee membership:
Nomination Committee
External appointments:
Jumeirah Group LLC (Non-executive director), British Hospitality
Association (Director), University of Surrey (Visiting Professor),
World Travel & Tourism Council (Director), West Buckland School
Foundation (Trustee & Director)
Previous experience:
Managing Director of Crest Hotels Europe, based in Frankfurt.
Senior Vice-President of Holiday Inn Europe, Middle East and
Africa, based in Brussels. Joined Whitbread in 1992 as Managing
Director of Whitbread Hotel Company.
Patrick Dempsey
Position:
Executive Director
Date of appointment to the Board:
January 2009
Age:
51
External appointments:
Hospitality Action (Trustee), Business in the Community - talent
and skills leadership team, DCMS - Tourism Advisory Council
Previous experience:
Patrick joined Whitbread in 2004 and has been in the hotel and
restaurant business for the past thirty years. Patrick was with
Forte Hotels for twenty years, then went on to join Compass Group
as CEO of Restaurant Associates. In 2005, Patrick became Managing
Director of Premier Inn.
Christopher Rogers
Position:
Finance Director
Date of appointment to the Board:
May 2005
Age:
50
External appointments:
HMV Group plc (Non-executive director)
Previous experience:
Qualified as an accountant with Price Waterhouse before joining
Kingfisher plc in 1988. Subsequent roles included Group Financial
Controller at Kingfisher plc, Finance Director, and then Commercial
Director, at Comet Group plc before becoming Finance Director at
Woolworths Group plc and Chairman of Woolworths Group Entertainment
business.
Stephen Williams
Position:
Senior Independent Director
Date of appointment to the Board:
April 2008
Age:
62
Committee membership:
Remuneration Committee, Nomination Committee
External appointments:
Unilever PLC and NV (General Counsel and Chief Legal Officer),
Arriva PLC (Senior Independent Director), Arts and Business
(Chairman), De la Warr Pavilion Trust (Chairman)
Previous experience:
After spending three years in the tax planning and commercial
departments at Slaughter and May, Stephen joined the legal
department of Imperial Chemical Industries PLC, before joining
Unilever PLC in 1986. He became General Counsel at Unilever in
1993.
Simon Melliss
Position:
Independent non-executive director
Date of appointment to the Board:
April 2007
Age:
57
Committee membership:
Audit Committee (Chairman), Nomination Committee
External appointments:
Hammerson PLC (Group Financial Director), Member of the Committee
of Management of Hermes Property Unit Trust
Previous experience:
Having trained as an accountant he held a number of financial
roles at Reed International PLC and Sketchley PLC, before joining
Hammerson in 1991 where he became Group Finance Director in 1995.
Simon has also previously held a non-executive directorship at
Associated British Ports Holdings PLC.
Philip Clarke
Position:
Independent non-executive director
Date of appointment to the Board:
January 2006
Age:
50
Committee membership:
Remuneration Committee (Chairman)
External appointments:
Tesco PLC (Director)
Previous experience:
Has eleven years' board experience gained at Tesco where he has
responsibility for operations in eleven countries across Asia and
Europe together with the IT function.
Wendy Becker
Position:
Independent non-executive director
Date of appointment to the Board:
January 2008
Age:
44
Committee membership:
Audit Committee, Remuneration Committee
External appointments:
Vodafone (Group Chief Marketing Officer) Working Families
(Trustee) Vodafone Foundation (Trustee)
Previous experience:
Previously Managing Director of Talk Talk. Partner of McKinsey
& Company for 14 years. Brand Manager of Procter & Gamble
and Boston Consulting Group.
Richard Baker
Position:
Independent non-executive director
Date of appointment to the Board:
September 2009
Age:
47
Committee membership:
Audit Committee
External appointments:
Virgin Active Group (Non-executive Chairman), Group Aeroplan Inc
(Chairman, European Advisory Board), Member of Heidrick &
Struggles Advisory Board, Advent International PLC (Operating
Partner)
Previous experience:
Chief Executive of Alliance Boots Group plc and Chief Operating
Officer at Asda Group plc.