(Reuters) - SSP Group Plc, owner of the Upper Crust chain of sandwich shops, on Thursday appointed Patrick Coveney as CEO at a time when its outlets at train stations and airports are lagging a broader food industry recovery from COVID-19.
An industry veteran, Coveney joins from Irish convenience food producer Greencore Group (LON:GNC), where he was chief executive, and will take up his new role at SSP in March, replacing Simon Smith.
"Patrick is a strong and strategic leader, combining this with proven financial and operational experience in some of the most competitive categories in the food sector," said SSP Chairman Mike Clasper in a statement.
In September, SSP warned that it might take until 2024 to achieve pre-COVID revenue levels, on the back of a slower recovery in sales due to uncertainty in the pace of rebound.
Separately, Greencore said a search process to appoint a new chief will start immediately and that Non-Executive Chair Gary Kennedy would take a more active role pending the CEO appointment.