Catering group SSP has announced the appointment of Patrick Coveney as its next group chief executive.
He will succeed Simon Smith, who is stepping down in December. Deputy CEO and CFO Jonathan Davies will lead the group executive committee and oversee day-to-day business until Coveney joins on 31 March 2022.
Coveney is group CEO of convenience foods producer Greencore. He previously worked at McKinsey & Company in Europe and North America, latterly as managing partner for Ireland. He is also a non-executive director of Glanbia and Core Media.
Mike Clasper, chair of SSP, said: “We are pleased to announce the appointment of Patrick who will join us as we emerge from the pandemic with considerable momentum. Patrick is a strong and strategic leader, combining this with proven financial and operational experience in some of the most competitive categories in the food sector. His customer and colleague focus make him ideally placed to lead SSP to future success.”