Compass Group UK & Ireland has strengthened its UK & I Executive team, with new appointments and roles, reflecting the company’s growth ambitions and focus on client delivery.
Following on from the appointments of Sophie Smith, Chief People Officer and Michelle Sanders, Chief Growth Officer earlier this year, the business has now appointed a new Chief Technology Officer to the UK & I Executive Team.
David Turner, Chief Technology Officer
David will lead the company’s digital transformation across technology, data, and cybersecurity.
He joins from Virgin Active where he was Group CTO. With close to 30 years of experience, David has held senior roles across healthcare, retail, leisure, and financial services. Notably, he was CTO for NHS England during the pandemic, where he worked alongside teams to deliver the NHS COVID-19 app and national vaccination systems. Prior to that he was Group CTO at William Hill, leading major cloud and agile transformation programmes.
Charlie Brown, Executive Director, Strategic Accounts
Having successfully headed up the education business for the past six years Charlie Brown, the previous CEO of Education, is moving to a new role as Executive Director, Strategic Accounts. He will oversee a newly created team dedicated to supporting clients. The team will work to deepen relationships, drive innovation, with a focus on delivering exceptional service and value.
Karl Atkins, CEO, Education
Karl Atkins has been appointed as CEO of Compass Group UK & Ireland’s Education business. Karl previously headed up Foodbuy Group for the past 6 years, where he transformed the business, accelerating the growth of the Group Purchasing Organisation (GPO) and building a resilient supply chain. This expertise, along with his personal passion for nutrition and education, will enable Karl to hit the ground running, providing valuable insights and support to education clients. Karl will be responsible for Chartwells, Chartwells Higher Education, Lodestone House and Pabulum.
Gareth Sharpe, CFO, Compass Group UK & Ireland and CEO, Foodbuy Group
Gareth Sharpe, CFO, Compass Group UK & Ireland, will also be taking on the additional responsibility of overseeing Foodbuy Group. Gareth already has a deep knowledge of Foodbuy’s operations. He will continue to drive Foodbuy’s purchasing power of over £2bn across 70 categories.
Robin Mills, CEO, Compass Group UK & Ireland commented:
“I would like to welcome David to the team, as technology continues to shape the foodservice industry, this is a great time for David to come onboard, and I have no doubt he will be a great asset to our business.
“Our business is going through a significant period of growth and it’s essential our Executive Team has the right depth and expertise, as we continue to evolve and innovate. By strengthening our leadership, we’re ensuring we stay ahead of industry trends and continue to provide outstanding service and value for our clients and customers. I’m excited for what we can achieve together in this next chapter.”
