Our Board
SSP has brought together a Board of Directors who are highly experienced within the travel food and beverage market and the broader retail industry.
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Vagn Sørensen
Chairman
Vagn joined the SSP Board as Chairman in June 2006. Vagn has extensive experience in global business and the airline and transportation industries, with over twenty years’ experience working within the travel sector. Vagn brings strong management and leadership experience to SSP.
Previous experience
Vagn was the President and Chief Executive Officer of Austrian Airlines Group from 2001 to 2006 and held various senior commercial positions. He served as Deputy Chief Executive Officer with SAS Scandinavian Airlines System from 1984 to 2001. Other previous roles include serving as the Chairman of the Association of European Airlines and of British Midland Airways, as a Director of Lufthansa Cargo, and as a member of the Board of Governors of the International Air Transport Association. Vagn was also the Chairman of Scandic Hotels Group AB.
External appointments
Vagn is Chairman of Air Canada and FLSmidth & Co. A/S and a board member of Royal Caribbean Cruises Limited, VFS Global, Braganza AS, Nordic Aviation Capital A/S, TIA Technology A/S, ZEBRA A/S, CP Dyvig & Co A/S and Unilode Aviation Solutions.
In addition, Vagn is a Senior Advisor to Morgan Stanley in the Nordic region and a Senior Industrial and Investment Advisor to EQT Partners.Qualifications
Vagn has an MSc in Economics and Business Administration from Aarhus Business School in Denmark.
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Kate Swann
Chief Executive Officer - SSP Group
Kate joined SSP as Chief Executive Officer in September 2013. Kate brings invaluable business and operational leadership experience to the Board. She has a wealth of experience working in the retail sector.
Previous experience
Kate began her retail career with Tesco plc before working with some of the UK’s best-known companies, including Homepride Foods, Coca-Cola Schweppes and Dixons Retail plc. She then joined Homebase Group Limited in 1997, ultimately serving in the role of Managing Director, and in 2000 was made Managing Director of Argos. Kate joined WH Smith plc as Chief Executive Officer in 2003. In 2012, she received both The Daily Telegraph award for Business Leader of the Decade at the National Business Awards, and the Institute for Turnaround Chairman’s Special Award for exceptional and extraordinary performance in the transformation of WH Smith. Kate also served as a Non-Executive Director of Babcock International Group plc.
External appointments
Kate has been a Non-Executive Director of England Hockey since 2016 and is also a Non-Executive Director of IVC Acquisitions Topco Limited (Independent Vetcare).
Qualifications
Kate graduated from the University of Bradford in 1986 with a BSc in Business Management and received an Honorary Doctorate from the university in 2007, where she is now Chancellor.
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Jonathan Davies
Chief Financial Officer
Jonathan has been the Chief Financial Officer of SSP since its formation within Compass Group in 2004. Jonathan brings extensive financial experience to SSP and has spent over thirty years working within retail and FMCG companies.
Previous experience
Jonathan began his career in Unilever plc’s management development programme before joining OC&C, the strategic management consultancy, as a start up in 1987, where he was part of its rapid growth and development to become a leading international consulting firm. From 1995 to 2004 Jonathan worked for Safeway plc, where he was Finance Director on its Executive Board between 1999 and 2004.
External appointments
Jonathan was appointed as a Non-Executive Director of Assura plc in June 2018.
Qualifications
Jonathan holds a degree in Chemistry from Oxford University and an MBA from INSEAD Business School, France.
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Simon Smith
Chief Executive Officer - SSP UK & Ireland
Simon joined SSP as CEO of the UK and Ireland region in 2014. In addition to running the UK, his role has broadened internationally, and he has taken full responsibility for the integration and development of our JV in India, Travel Food Services, which has been our largest acquisition to date.
Previous experience
Before joining SSP, Simon was at WH Smith for ten years, most recently as managing director of WHSmith’s travel division. During his tenure, the travel division expanded to more than 20 new international markets across Europe, India, the Middle East and Asia Pacific.
Simon has more than 20 years of experience in the retail and catering sectors, having begun his career at Fenwicks before moving to Allders Department Stores and then Safeway, where he worked in both commercial and marketing roles. He joined the travel division of WHSmith in 2004 and held the roles of trading director and chief operating officer before his promotion to managing director.
Qualifications
Simon holds a first class honours degree from Leeds University Business School.
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John Barton
Senior Independent Non Executive Director
John joined the SSP Board as the Senior Independent Director in April 2014. John has extensive board and general management experience, especially on advising boards on executive remuneration across a range of sectors.
Previous experience
John served as Chairman of Next plc, Cable & Wireless Worldwide plc, Brit Insurance Holdings plc, Wellington Underwriting plc, and Catlin Group Underwriting. He was previously Senior Independent Director of WH Smith plc and Hammerson plc.
He was also the Chief Executive of insurance broker JIB Group plc from 1984 to 1997. After JIB’s merger with Lloyd Thomson in 1997, he became Chairman of the combined group, Jardine Lloyd Thompson Group plc, until 2001.
External appointments
John has been Chairman of easyJet plc since 2013 and is a Non-Executive Director of Matheson & Co., Limited and Senior Independent Director at Luceco plc.
Qualifications
John is a qualified chartered accountant and received an MBA from Strathclyde University.
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Ian Dyson
Independent Non-Executive Director
Ian joined the SSP Board as an Independent Non-Executive Director in April 2014. Ian brings significant financial and business experience to the Board.
Previous experience
Ian was formerly Chief Executive Officer (and then Non-Executive Director) of Punch Taverns plc, Chief Executive Officer of Spirit Pub Company plc, Group Finance & Operations Director at Marks & Spencer Group plc and Finance Director of The Rank Group plc. Prior to this he was Group Financial Controller of Hilton International Co. He joined Hilton from Le Meridien, a division of Forte Group plc, where he had been Finance Director. Ian has also been a Non-Executive Director
of Misys plc.His early career was spent with Arthur Andersen where he was promoted to partner of the firm in 1994.
External appointments
Ian is Senior Independent Director of Paddy Power Betfair plc and ASOS plc, and a Non-Executive Director of Intercontinental Hotels Group plc. Ian is also Chairman of the Audit Committee of both ASOS plc and Intercontinental Hotels Group plc.
Qualifications
Ian qualified as a chartered accountant in1986.
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Per Utnegaard
Independent Non-Executive Director
Per joined the SSP Board as an Independent Non-Executive Director in July 2015. Per brings considerable international business experience to the Board.
Previous experience
Per’s previous roles include Group Wholesale Director and a member of the Group Board at Alliance UniChem plc, Senior Vice President, Corporate Business Development at Danzas Holding Limited (a subsidiary of Deutsche Post AG) and various senior positions at TNT Post Group.
Per has also been the Group President and the CEO of Swissport International Ltd, the Vice chairman of Swissport International AG and the Chairman of the Executive Board of Bilfinger SE.
External appointments
Since April 2017, Per has been a Non-Executive Director of Xovis AG. He has also been a board member of the Swiss University Sports Federation since April 2016.
Qualifications
Per graduated from Northern Michigan University with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and Marketing.
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Denis Hennequin
Independent Non-Executive Director
Denis joined the SSP Board as an Independent Non-Executive Director in February 2014. Denis brings significant international business and management experience to the Board.
Previous experience
Denis began his career at The McDonald’s Corporation, becoming President of McDonald’s Europe in 2005. He has also served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Accor S.A., the worldwide hotel group, as a Director of E-house Concept Limited, and a Non-Executive Director at Cojean Limited and the John Lewis Partnership plc.
External appointments
Denis has been a Non-Executive Director of Eurostar International Limited since 2012. His other directorships include The Green Jersey Limited, Bakkavor Holdings Limited (formerly Bakkavor Group Limited) and Bakkavor Group plc. He is also a partner at French Food Capital.
Qualifications
Denis graduated from the University of Paris with a Masters in Law and also a Bachelor’s degree in Economic Sciences. Denis is also a qualified accountant.
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Carolyn Bradley
Independent Non-Executive Director
Carolyn joined the SSP Board as an Independent Non-Executive Director in October 2018. Carolyn has extensive experience in marketing and, having worked in the retail industry for over thirty years, brings a strong consumer focus. Carolyn brings significant board and board committee advisory experience to the Board.
Previous experience
Carolyn spent over twenty five years at Tesco, holding a number of roles including Chief Operating Officer for Tesco.com, Commercial Director for Tesco Stores and Tesco UK Marketing Director, before being appointed Group Brand Director in 2012.
External appointments
Carolyn is a Non-Executive Director of Legal and General Group plc (stepping down with effect from 31 December 2018), Majid Al Futtaim Retail LLC, Marston’s PLC (Senior Independent Director), The Mentoring Foundation and B&M European Value Retail S.A. Carolyn serves on the Audit, Nomination and Remuneration Committees of Marston’s PLC and the Nomination and Remuneration Committees of Legal and General Group plc. She is a trustee and Deputy Chairman of Cancer Research UK and a member of the Advisory Board of Cambridge Judge Business School.
Qualifications
Carolyn graduated from the University of Cambridge with an MA in English Literature.
