ROGER Whiteside has stepped down as chief executive of Punch Taverns after four years at the helm.
Whiteside, who has been appointed chief executive at bakery chain Greggs, departs the pubco as it continues to trim its estate, which currently numbers around 300 leased or tenanted pubs in Scotland.
Punch said it had no plans to appoint a new chief executive immediately, confirming that Stephen Billingham has been appointed executive chairman and Neil Griffiths chief operating officer.
The firm said its current trading performance “remains in line with the board’s expectations” and that a further announcement about its capital structure would be made in due course.
“I am confident that with the appointment of Neil Griffiths as COO and with the experienced management team in place at Punch we will continue with the progress we are making in delivering on these key strategic goals,” said Billingham.
