Comptoir Group re-appoints chairman after founder votes down his re-election

Comptoir Group has reappointed Richard Kleiner as chairman after the restaurant chain's founder Tony Kitous voted down his re-election at the company AGM.

Earlier this week, a battle for control for between Kitous and the directors of the group became public when it was revealed he had written to the board calling for Kleiner and chief executive officer Chaker Hanna to step down.

The company said yesterday that Kleiner was not re-elected as director after a resolution on the matter failed to pass at the AGM.

However, a board meeting was later held where Kleiner was reappointed as chairman with immediate effect.

The company said: "The directors in attendance at the board meeting took into account that 100% of all shareholders who voted on Resolution 2, save for Mr Tony Kitous, voted in favour of the re-election of Mr Kleiner.

"Further, the directors in attendance also considered the need for an independent non-executive director in order to maintain a well-functioning, balanced management team led by a chairman."

Kitous founded Comptoir Group in 2008 as a Lebanese and Eastern Mediterranean restaurant group and holds a 47.6% share in the company.

Comptoir Group operates 19 UK restaurants under the Comptoir Libanais brand and two international sites in Dubai and Utrecht. It also runs smaller outlets under the quick-service Shawa brand and two standalone high street restaurants, called Levant and Kenza.

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