City Pub Group appoints former Stonegate CEO to the board

City Pub Group has announced the appointment of Toby Smith to the board in the newly created role of chief operating officer from today.

Smith has held chief executive roles with Stonegate Pub Company, Novus Leisure and Town and City Pub Company. Prior to these, he also held senior roles at Laurel Pub Company, Spirit Group and Scottish and Newcastle Retail.

Meanwhile, Alex Derrick, joint managing director, by mutual agreement, has stepped down from the board and left the company.

The group said it extended its "thanks to Alex for the considerable part he has played in the company's development from the outset and wishes him all the best for the future".

Clive Watson, executive chairman of City Pub Company, said: "The challenges of Covid will also bring opportunity and we are seeking to position ourselves to take advantage of opportunities which undoubtedly will arise.

"The pub estate has been locked down far more effectively than the first time. All retail staff and a large number of head office staff are now on furlough. We intend to run our existing estate in the most efficient manner and our infrastructure is scalable for the next part of the journey when the pandemic is behind us.

"We welcome Toby to the business to accelerate the work that has been ongoing to achieve these goals. I and the board look forward to working with him to build an even stronger, better business for the future."