Newcastle-based Greggs announced the appointment of former Greene King CFO Richard Smothers as an independent non-executive director, effective from February 1, 2026.

Smothers will assume the role of Chair of the Audit Committee from March 6, 2026, and will join the Audit, Nominations and Remuneration Committees on appointment.

Kate Ferry, non-executive director and current chair of the Audit Committee, will retire from the Greggs board on March 6.

“Richard served as Chief Financial Officer of Greene King until early 2025,” said Greggs.

“His other prior experience includes holding the position of Chief Financial Officer at Mothercare plc and serving as Director of Group Finance for Rexam plc, preceded by 14 years at Tesco plc in senior finance roles both in the UK and internationally.

‘He is currently a Non-Executive Director on the board of RM plc, where he chairs the Audit & Risk Committee, and a Non-Executive Director of Greene King.’

Greggs chair Matt Davies said: “As previously noted, Kate has made an exceptional contribution to the board over the last six years and she will be truly missed.

“We are delighted that Richard has accepted our invitation to join the board. He has extensive financial expertise in a listed company environment and great experience in retail which will be of significant benefit to our business.”