PRESS: Greggs Chair Durant expected to stay in role to find new CEO

(Alliance News) - Greggs PLC Chair Ian Durant will be asked to stay in his role beyond UK ...

Alliance News 16 March, 2021 | 6:50AM
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(Alliance News) - Greggs PLC Chair Ian Durant will be asked to stay in his role beyond UK corporate governance guidelines in an effort to find the next chief executive of the midcap bakery chain, Sky News reported Monday evening.

Sky News said the company will announce alongside annual results on Tuesday that Durant has been asked by its board to stay beyond the nine-year period beyond which he would cease to be regarded as independent under UK corporate governance guidelines.

Durant, who became Greggs' chair in 2013, was likely to stay for at least a couple more years as the company battles the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, Sky said.

A formal search for Greggs' next chief executive has yet to get underway, and current CEO Roger Whiteside is also said to be determined to stay until the company's post-coronavirus recovery is well-entrenched.

https://news.sky.com/story/greggs-bakes-succession-plan-for-top-pair-as-pandemic-prompts-maiden-annual-loss-12246882

At the start of January, Greggs announced an expected swing to an annual loss as it felt the "enormous" impact of Covid-19.

The baker cautioned that profits will not return to pre-health crisis levels until "2022 at the earliest".

Greggs said total sales in the 53 weeks ended January 2 slumped 31% to GBP811 million from GBP1.17 billion the year before. On average, fourth-quarter company-managed shop like-for-like sales were at 81% of the prior year's levels.

Greggs expects a full-year pretax loss of up to GBP15 million, swinging from a GBP108.3 million profit the year before. It expects to post annual total sales of GBP811 million, down from GBP1.17 billion, including fourth quarter sales of GP294 million, down year-on-year from GBP344 million.

Shares in Greggs closed at 2,210.00 pence each in London on Monday.

By Paul McGowan; paulmcgowan@alliancenews.com

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Securities Mentioned in Article

Security Name Price Change (%) Morningstar
Rating
Greggs PLC 2,940.00 GBX 0.00 -

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