Hospitality company Whitbread PLC has announced that Mark Allan is to be appointed as an independent non-executive director of the company with effect from 1 October 2026. Allan will also join the audit committee and the nomination committee.

Allan is an experienced property sector leader with more than two decades of executive and board-level experience across major listed real estate businesses. He is currently chief executive officer of Land Securities Group PLC, one of Europe’s leading real estate companies, where he has led the business since April 2020. Prior to this, he served as chief executive officer of St Modwen Properties Ltd (formerly plc).

Before joining St Modwen, Allan spent 14 years at student accommodation platform Unite Group PLC, including ten years as CEO.

Whitbread also announced that Horst Baier, who has served on the Whitbread board and the audit committee since November 2019, will step down with effect from 1 October 2026.

Christine Hodgson, chair of Whitbread, thanked Baier for his “significant contribution” and said: “We are delighted to welcome Mark to the Board. He brings a wealth of leadership experience from the property sector, and his strategic insight, capital allocation experience and public markets background will further strengthen the Board as we continue to execute our strategic priorities and deliver against our New Five-Year Plan. We look forward to his contribution and perspective in the years ahead.”