• 2 min de lectura
• 2 min de lectura
Jeremy Fennell will become CEO of Harding+ on October 1, succeeding Chris Matthews, who joined the company in 2023 and will continue as executive director, supporting the holding board.
Fennell brings experience in retail and travel concessions operations. He served as group COO at SSP Group, a global operator of food and beverage concessions across airports, rail stations and travel hubs. He previously held the role of CEO for Continental Europe and Nordics at SSP, overseeing operations across multiple markets.
Before SSP, Fennell spent over two decades at Dixons Carphone in senior roles including MD of Carphone Warehouse and leadership of Dixons Travel.
Mike Coupe, Harding+ chairman, said: "This is a well-planned transition process. Chris has strengthened Harding+ considerably and leaves the business well positioned for its next phase of growth.
"Jeremy brings precisely the skills and experience we need to continue that success, with deep operational expertise in travel concessions, a track record of driving growth at scale, and the international leadership to take Harding+ to its next level."
Under Matthews' leadership, processes and systems across the fleet have been reworked to give shipboard teams more focus on sales activities. According to Harding+, this has resulted in consistent performance improvement on a like-for-like basis.
Matthews stated: "It's been a genuine privilege to lead Harding+ and I'm proud of the business I'm handing over. Trading is strong, like-for-like growth continues and momentum across the fleet has never been better.
"None of that would have been possible without the Harding+ teams, whose hard work has driven everything we've achieved.
"I've known Jeremy for many years and he is exactly the calibre of leader the business will benefit from, and I couldn't ask for a better successor."
Fennell said: "I'm delighted to be joining Harding+ as its next CEO. Harding+ has a unique position in travel retail and a genuinely exciting opportunity ahead.
"The transformation Chris and the team have built has created real momentum - and there is plenty more still to do, which is exactly what makes this such a compelling opportunity."
Fennell concluded: "I'm looking forward to working closely with colleagues across the business, our cruise line partners, and our brand and supplier partners to deliver even better retail experiences for our guests."
