Troy Warfield appointed chief executive at Oche to oversee expansion
Norwegian bar, restaurant and entertainment concept Oche has appointed UK-based Troy Warfield as its new chief executive to lead the company's expansion plans.
Over the next 12 months, the group plans to open six to 10 new Oche bars, including in the US and Europe. Karbon Invest, which owns 50% of Oche, is planning to invest more than $35m (£25m) in its expansion over the next three to five years.
Most recently, Warfield was president at sports entertainment company Topgolf, where he was responsible for the international expansion programme outside of the US, which involved building a strong global franchise footprint.
Prior to this, he was executive director of the board and customer experience director at British Airways. At Avis Budget Group, he was chief commercial officer and also led the international franchising of the business, and, during his time at Kimberly-Clark, was vice-president of the European family care business and managing director UK and Ireland.
Oche launched in Norway's capital Oslo in 2019 with the country's first ‘contemporary dart club', featuring gastro dining and a cocktail bar atmosphere. In 2019 the concept expanded to Brisbane, Australia, and in 2020 to Amsterdam in the Netherlands. Former chief executive and founder of the company Geir Oterhals remains on the board.
"We are delighted that Troy has joined Oche as CEO as we embark on this global journey and have no doubt he will take this to the next level," commented Norwegian IT investor Jens Rugseth, chairman of Karbon Invest, Oche's majority owner.
Warfield said: "This has proven that Oche has global appeal. The Oche proposition combined with the support of Karbon Invest will prove vital elements in the global expansion of the brand. I believe Oche is perfectly placed to help lift existing hospitality venues and to significantly increase their revenue and returns as the world emerges from the global pandemic. We look forward to inviting franchise partners from across the globe to help build the Oche brand and I'm excited to be bringing this new concept to the world."
