Shepherd Neame appoints Jonathan Swaine as managing director of its pubs division

Brewer Shepherd Neame has appointed Jonathan Swaine as managing director of its pubs division, which runs around 300 sites in Kent and the south east.

Over the last three years Swaine has been managing director of retail at entertainment company Rank Group but has spent most of his career in the pub industry.

He initially worked at Bass (1997-2005) where he became a national account manager, before joining Fuller, Smith and Turner for 14 years until 2019.

At Fuller's he held various roles, including managing director at Fuller's Inn's for seven years, which includes around 400 pubs with 800 bedrooms, where he grew the business significantly.

Jonathan Neame, chief executive of Shepherd Neame, said: "[Swaine] is an operator of considerable experience and is highly respected within the industry.

"Jonathon and the team will help us develop Shepherd Neame on the next stage of our journey as we emerge from the pandemic in good shape and ambitious to resume our growth trajectory."

Swaine said: "Shepherd Neame is a company that I have known and admired for a long time. They have unique heritage, strong culture and values. In addition, the pub estate is very high quality, with further development opportunities, and will benefit from the ongoing infrastructure investment in its Kent heartland. I look forward to working with the team and board."