Bill Toner, the chief executive of Aramark UK, is leaving the US-owned contract caterer after six years with the company.

He will be replaced by Andrew Main, another Scot ,who has been working for Aramark in the USA for the past three years. No date has been set for his departure, although there will be a handover period.

Main, who is president of Aramark's US business division, joined the company in Scotland in 1994, before crossing the Atlantic in 2002.

Toner: personal reasons

A spokeswoman for the contract caterer said that Toner had resigned from the company for personal reasons. "He wants to pursue the next stage in his career," she said.

Aramark denied that his departure had anything to do with the company's operational performance in the UK.

"It is definitely nothing to do with performance - Aramark's turnover in the UK has doubled in the past six years," the spokeswoman said.

Rumours that Toner was about to leave the company have been gathering over the past few months.

One industry insider said: "It has been a long time coming. It's the worst kept secret in contract catering."

by James Garner

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