Senior business directors at Eurest promoted to joint MDs

Eurest, the workplace division of foodservice provider Compass Group UK and Ireland, has promoted two of its most Senior Business Directors to Joint Managing Directors.

Paul Williams

Paul Williams and Nick Haynes, who have both worked for Compass for nearly 10 years, take up the positions, effective immediately, and are now responsible for Eurest’s strategic growth and direction. They will manage team performance, win new business and build relationships with existing clients to ensure contract renewals.

Although the pair will work closely together on Eurest’s business strategy and be totally aligned on company-wide themes such as sustainability, they are managing different sides of the business.

Williams oversees Eurest’s large, multi-site clients, including brands such as Amazon, Porsche, Virgin Media, British Airways, IBM and Heathrow Airport. Whereas Haynes is managing the company’s single-site clients, which cover the length and breadth of the UK and include Bombardier, The Royal Mint, Halfords and Scottish Power.

Speaking about his new appointment, Williams said: “The catering market continues to recover in the wake of Covid-19, with cash sales growing month-on-month since restrictions were removed, the number of people returning to offices increasing and sites that were previously closed reopening. This puts us in a strong position as we seek to close the year on a high and look ahead to 2022.

Nick Haynes

“Nick and I have worked together for a long time and there is great synergy between us, so this will be a great partnership to further the aims of the company.”

Haynes added: “Although previously we were in similar director roles, Paul and I have a different knowledge base, experience and client set. The single-site clients I represent are smaller in size but far more numerous, whereas Paul’s multi-site clients are fewer but more complex. It means we bring unique skills, which we can utilise to comprehensively serve the various parts of the business.”

Morag Freathy, Managing Director of Business and Industry, who oversees Eurest and its sister companies 14Forty and Dine, said: “I am delighted to have appointed Paul and Nick as Eurest’s Managing Directors. They are both hugely experienced in their business areas and have some exciting plans for the future for the brand. They have provided exceptional support to our clients over the past 18 months, which has seen us innovate at great pace as well as create great new food offers – with sustainability at their core. 2022 looks like it’s going to be another busy year for us – and I have no doubt under Paul and Nick’s leadership, Eurest will continue to go from strength to strength.