The chair of Severn Trent, the FTSE-100 water company, is set to expand her directorships by taking on the role of Whitbread’s chairman, the owner of Premier Inn.
Sky News has learned that Christine Hodgson has been chosen as the preferred candidate to succeed Adam Crozier as Whitbread’s chairman.
According to sources in the city, her appointment may be announced as early as next week.
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Ms. Hodgson is reported to have won the position over Andrew Martin, the chair of Intertek, a testing and inspection group.
Mr. Crozier, who has been chairing the leisure group since 2018, is expected to step down later this year.
Ms. Hodgson has some experience in the leisure industry, having served on the board of Ladbrokes Coral Group until 2017.
Under Mr. Crozier’s leadership, Whitbread has undergone significant changes, including the sale of its Costa Coffee subsidiary to The Coca-Cola Company in 2019 for nearly £4bn.
The company has also successfully navigated an activist campaign led by Elliott Advisers, while Mr. Crozier oversaw the appointment of Dominic Paul as its chief executive, following Alison Brittain’s retirement.
Last year, it was mentioned that there is potential to expand the Premier Inn network from 86,000 UK bedrooms to 125,000 over the next decade or so.
The company has also been considering the sale of some of its pub and restaurant operations.
As of Thursday, Whitbread’s shares were trading at approximately £28.41, with a market capitalization of around £4.8bn.
Whitbread has chosen not to provide a comment.