The board of Greggs plc has announced the appointment of Richard Smothers as an independent non-executive director, effective from 1 February 2026. Smothers will assume the role of chair of the audit committee from 6 March 2026 and will join the audit, nominations and remuneration committees on appointment.

Smothers served as chief financial officer of Greene King until early 2025. His other prior experience includes holding the position of CFO at Mothercare plc and serving as director of group finance for Rexam plc, preceded by 14 years at Tesco plc in senior finance roles both in the UK and internationally. He is currently a non-executive director on the board of RM plc, where he chairs the audit & risk committee, and a non-executive director of Greene King.

Kate Ferry, non-executive director and current chair of the audit committee, will retire from the board on 6 March 2026. She had remained in the role of auditco chair until a new candidate could be appointed.

Matt Davies, chair of Greggs, said, “As previously noted, Kate has made an exceptional contribution to the Board over the last six years and she will be truly missed. We are delighted that Richard has accepted our invitation to join the board. He has extensive financial expertise in a listed company environment and great experience in retail which will be of significant benefit to our business.”