Fri 21st Apr 2023 - Wadworth appoints Simon Townsend as non-executive chairman, first person outside family to hold position Wadworth appoints Simon Townsend as non-executive chairman, first person outside family to hold position: Independent brewer and pub company Wadworth has appointed Simon Townsend, former chief executive of Ei Group, as its new non-executive chairman. Townsend will succeed Charles Bartholomew, who will step down as executive chairman in July after 27 years’ service. He will continue to be a non-executive director with Wadworth. It will be the first time the role of chair has not been held by a family member. The business has been planning board succession for a considerable amount of time, and “while there wasn’t an intentional search outside of the family, Simon fits the role for the future of Wadworth”. Wadworth stated: “Simon brings with him a wealth of knowledge from more than 21 years at Ei Group, with the last six years as chief executive. The Wadworth team looks forward to working alongside Simon and welcomes his breadth of experience to help successfully steer the company into its next chapter and beyond. 2023 presents an exciting year for Wadworth with the move to a state-of-the-art brewing facility, a new corporate brand identity, the launch of a craft beer portfolio and the brewing centenary of 6X.” Townsend is a non-executive director of Suffolk brewer and retailer Adnams, French brasserie chain Cote and Manchester brewer and retailer JW Lees as well as a senior adviser to public relations company Teneo. He was also, until recently, a non-executive director of construction company Countryside Properties. Townsend stepped down as chief executive of Ei Group following its £3bn sale to Stonegate in 2020. Wadworth was founded in 1875 by Henry Alfred Wadworth and is an independent family business with more than 150 pubs across the south and west of England, split between tenanted and managed sites. For the year to 1 January 2022, the company reported turnover of £25.1m (15 months to 2 January 2021: £39.2m), with Ebitda of £1.64m (2021: loss of £4.15m), and a pre-tax loss of £4.04m (2021: loss of £19.7m). Prior to the pandemic, the group turned over £66.6m, although in 2021 the business sold 21 pubs to Channel Islands brewer and retailer Liberation Group. Wadworth’s new brewery will open in mid-2023 in Folly Road, Devizes – about a five minute drive from its current site. Wadworth features in the Propel Turnover & Profits Blue Book. The Blue Book ranks companies by turnover, profit and profit conversion, listing directors’ earnings for the past five years. Companies can now have an unlimited number of people receive access to Propel Premium for a year for £995 plus VAT – whether they are an operator or a supplier. The single subscription rate is £495 plus VAT for operators and £595 plus VAT for suppliers. Email jo.charity@propelinfo.com to upgrade your subscription.