The Restaurant Group has appointed Patisserie Valerie’s boss to its board

The Restaurant Group today appointed the boss of bakery chain Patisserie Valerie to its board to support its turnaround plan.

The owner of Frankie & Benny’s and Chiquito said Paul May will join as a non-executive director on 3 July.

May has worked as chief executive of Patisserie Valerie since 2006, overseeing its expansion into profit and its initial public offering (IPO). He is also a non-exec director at GRA, a privately owned sports facility and hospitality group.

Sally Cowdry, a non-executive director at the Restaurant Group, will retire from the board on 31 August.

One further non-executive director will be recruited in due course, the group said.

“I am pleased to welcome Paul to the company. As well as his strong sector credentials and his broad strategic and commercial insight, he brings a wealth of experience as a listed company director. I am sure that he will add considerable value to our Board and we look forward to working with him,” said Debbie Hewitt, chairman.

“On behalf of the board, I would like to thank Sally for her valuable contribution during her tenure, and wish her all the best for the future.”

This follows a year of tough trading in 2016, but in March the group revealed a new turnaround plan to grow its business. However, in April, the Restaurant Group lost its second chief financial officer in 12 months.