FMJ Facilities Management magazine providing industry-specific intelligence to FM and property professionals
James Lester has been appointed as the new MD of Eurest, Dine and 14forty.
Lester is joining the business during a period of exceptional growth. He joins from CBRE, bringing a great balance of food and FM expertise to the role, along with a fresh perspective on innovation, customer experience and operational excellence.
Lester has a strong track record in food and support services, having worked in outsourcing for over 20 years. He is also not new to Compass having previously worked in its Restaurant Associates business over 10 years ago.
Commenting on the appointment, Robin Mills, CEO, Compass Group UK & Ireland said: “I am delighted to welcome James back to the business. It’s a great time to join, with Eurest, Dine and 14forty all performing strongly in the market. There are many opportunities for further growth, as more companies look to move to outsourcing or update their workplace offer. It’s going to be great having James’ insight and expertise to further support our clients and teams.”
Lester, commented: “This is an exciting time to be taking on this new role for these three well-respected and established brands. I’m looking forward to working with the team to really focus on our offers and capabilities, to ensure we are delivering what our clients and customers want every day.
“These well-respected and established brands are at the forefront of food services and facilities management, with true differentiators that align to customer markets. I am thrilled to return to Compass Group, bringing my expertise in food and workplace services having spent the past ten years overseeing a broad range of customers and industries. I am excited to be working with the team to really focus on our proposition to drive growth and deliver for our clients and customers every day.”
Lester joins Compass following the retirement of Morag Freathy, CEO, B&I, in December and will be taking up the new role in April 2026.
Matt Thomas, CEO of Restaurant Associates Group will broaden his role to take on responsibility for Eurest, Dine and 14forty on the UK & I executive team and support Lester with getting up to speed on the business.
FMJ and Watco Webinar: Meeting compliance in a new culture of accountability
From January 2026, the Building Safety Regulator (BSR) formally separated from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). Created under the Building Safety Act 2022 in response to the Grenfell Tower tragedy, the BSR is designed to raise safety standards across the built environment and introduce a stronger culture of accountability, transparency, and proactive risk management.
This shift places facilities managers in a more strategic safety assurance role – far beyond routine maintenance.
FMJ and Watco are hosting a webinar on 22 April at 11:00am to explore what this new regulatory landscape means for FMs. To register for the webinar click here.
Can’t make it no problem…
Simply register above and after the webinar has been broadcast, we will send you a link to watch the recording.
