SSP appoints Mark Angela as CEO

Travel concession operator SSP has appointed Mark Angela as chief executive of its UK and Ireland business, succeeding Tony Keating.

Angela is expected to join the company next month from PizzaExpress Restaurants, where he has spent the last four years as chief executive.

Prior to that, he was managing director of Greene King Pub Company as well as a main board member of Greene King plc for three years.

Angela's experience extends beyond hospitality as he has also held general management and marketing roles in the consumer goods and pharmaceutical sectors, including 11 years at Colgate-Palmolive and five years at ICI (now Astra-Zeneca).

Andrew Lynch, chief executive of SSP Group, welcomed Angela to the business. "His strong track record of delivering profitable growth in consumer focused brands like PizzaExpress and Greene King speaks for itself. His leadership skills and experience are perfectly suited to continuing the growth of our UK and Ireland division," he said.

"I would also like to thank the departing UK and Ireland CEO, Tony Keating, for his outstanding contribution to the company over almost 30 years of service, and to wish him all the best for the future as he pursues other interests outside of SSP."

Angela added: "Given the positive long-term trends in the travel sector and SSP's unrivalled position within it, this is an exciting time to be joining a business with such unique expertise and an outstanding portfolio of brands."

SSP's UK and Ireland division has 650 trading units and employs around 10,000 staff.

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By Janie Stamford

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