Greene King appoints new Pub Partners managing director: Brewer and retailer Greene King has appointed former Pizza Hut chief customer officer Wayne Shurvinton as managing director of its Pub Partners division. He will replace John Forrest, who is leaving the business to take up a new position in the healthcare sector. Shurvinton has extensive hospitality and franchise experience having spent the past nine years at Yum Brands! in a number of roles with KFC and Pizza Hut in the UK, Europe and Middle East. Greene King chief executive Rooney Anand said: “I am delighted to welcome Wayne to lead our Pub Partners business. His experience in building partnerships and developing a growth strategy will translate well to the tenanted and leased sector and be invaluable as we continue to grow the Pub Partners division. I would also like to thank John Forrest for his contribution to our retail and Pub Partners businesses over the last three years. He goes with our very best wishes and sincere thanks.” Shurvinton joins Greene King this week and takes the reins as managing director of Pub Partners on Friday, 5 October.

Fourth acquires Choice HR amid plans to ‘disrupt’ US market: Fourth, the software partner to the hospitality industry, has acquired Choice HR, a US full-service payroll, benefits and HR services company, as it moves to “disrupt the way America manages its hospitality workforce for the better”. Its 400 customers include leading brands such as PDQ, Metro Diner, Beef o’ Brady’s, Ford’s Garage and World of Beer. The 55 staff at Choice HR’s head office in Tampa, Florida, will join the Fourth family. Its management team will remain in place, while Choice HR’s offices will serve as the combined group’s North America base. Fourth chief executive Ben Hood said: “The operators who succeed in the battle for customers and efficiencies in the UK and the US will be the ones who harness the power of technology to deliver not only the best guest experience but also the best employee experience. We’re dedicated to helping them achieve this. We don’t just want to support our UK customers expanding in the US such as Wagamama, Leon and Itsu, we also want to offer US operators the same robust system UK customers enjoy to ensure compliance and drive efficiencies. We all know the US legal framework is much more complex than the UK and that is why this acquisition is not about one tech company acquiring another. This is about disrupting the way America manages its hospitality workforce for the better.”