- Hodgson spent over two decades at information technology group Capgemini
Premier Inn owner Whitbread said the chairwoman of water company Severn Trent will replace Adam Crozier as its next chair.
Sky News reported earlier this month that Christine Hodgson was the preferred candidate to succeed Crozier, who has chaired Whitbread for the past seven years.
Hodgson became chair of Severn Trent in 2020 after spending over two decades at information technology group Capgemini, where she was chief financial officer and executive chair.
She has also been a non-executive director of banking giant Standard Chartered and betting firm Ladbrokes.
During her tenure at Severn Trent, the company became the first FTSE 100 group to have women holding the positions of chief executive, chair and chief financial officer at the same time.
However, it has come under intense scrutiny over its environmental record, just like the rest of Britain’s water industry.
Appointment: Premier Inn owner Whitbread said the chairwoman of water company Severn Trent, Christine Hodgson, will replace Adam Crozier as its next chair
The Environmental Agency fined Severn over £2million in 2024 for illegally spilling around 260 million litres of sewage into the River Trent.
That came three years after the group was slapped with a £1.5million fine for illegal discharges from four of its treatment works in Worcestershire between February and August 2018.
Severn Trent has committed £15billion over the coming five years towards improving infrastructure while keeping water bills the second-lowest in England.
Richard Gillingwater, senior independent director at Whitbread, remarked: ‘We have conducted a thorough process, and it was evident that Christine will be an outstanding successor to Adam.
‘Christine’s experience working with high-profile consumer and technology businesses will be hugely valuable over the coming years.’
Under Crozier, Whitbread struggled through the Covid-19 pandemic as stringent travel restrictions wrecked demand for hotel stays but saw trade recover following the end of lockdown curbs.
The London-based firm is undertaking a £500million investment that includes plans to operate 98,000 hotel rooms by 2030, partly by converting some restaurants into accommodation.
In the year to 27 February, Whitbread’s pre-tax profits declined by 19 per cent to £368million following the closure of several underperforming branded restaurants.
Yet the company declared it was on track to score at least £300million in extra adjusted pre-tax profits by 2030.
‘It has been a privilege to lead the Whitbread board through this period of growth and change,’ said Crozier.
‘I’m proud that as I leave the business, we are on course for Premier Inn to become Europe’s number one budget hotel business.’
The Scottish-born boss has an extensive corporate career, having previously been chief executive at ITV, the Royal Mail, the Football Association, and Saatchi & Saatchi.
Whitbread shares were 1.4 per cent higher at £28.37 on Tuesday morning but remain around 5 per cent down since the year started.
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This article was originally published by a www.dailymail.co.uk . Read the Original article here. .