David Ford, former chief executive of contract caterer Sodexho in the UK and Ireland, has been appointed to the board of Crown Group.

As a senior board director at Crown, the parent company of Crown Venue Catering, he will help chairman Russell Morgan with his future growth plans for the group.

Ford said: "I return to the hospitality industry with a fresh perspective on business services and an enhanced understanding of the recipe for success."

Crown Group is made up of 10 companies owned by Morgan. These include Midsummer House, the one-Michelin-starred Cambridge restaurant. The group's event management services cover recruitment, organising and catering at prestigious events such as the Farnborough Air Show, the Booker Prize and the Brit Awards. The group has annual sales of £25m and offices in the City of London and Essex.

Ford had been chief executive of Sodexho for five years when he left in April 2002 to join Regus, a serviced office company, where he is chief executive for the UK and Ireland.

His departure from Sodexho had been predicted for some time, and insiders claimed it was the result of a difference of cultures between the English and French sides of the business. The company described his departure as amicable and said he had left in order to pursue other interests.

Source: Caterer & Hotelkeeper magazine, 20 - 26 November 2003