Paul Thandi CBE appointed new Chairman of BOXPARK

Award-winning hospitality and leisure group BOXPARK has today announced that Paul Thandi CBE has been appointed as the new Independent Non-Executive Chairman of BOXPARK.

Having been the CEO of the NEC Group for the past sixteen years, Paul will also step into the position of Chairman of the NEC Group from September 2023.

With a wealth of brand building, destination development and leadership experience, Paul will be focussed on the Group’s expansion as it embarks on its growth strategy across the UK, as well as supporting the senior management team to explore potential new offerings and concepts.

Paul Thandi will succeed John Leslie who has been an adviser to BOXPARK since 2016 and served as Non-Executive Chairman since September 2021, during which time the business has grown to over 250 employees, generating revenue of £19m in the year to April 2022.

John, former CEO of iNTERTAIN and previously Finance Director of Regent Inns, Scottish & Newcastle Retail and Allied Domecq Retail International, will stay on as a member of the BOXPARK Board and continue to chair the Remuneration and Audit committees.

Speaking about the announcement, Paul Thandi says: “LDC’s investment in BOXPARK is a great sign of the strength of the existing brand and platform. The opportunity for the team, the brand, future sites and importantly our traders and customers is something that I am genuinely excited about working on with the team, investors and the board.

“The scaling of the business through consistent performance across existing sites, what we do well today and how we move that into new formats, is at the core of how we deliver the next stage of the brand’s growth as a team.”

Commenting on the announcement, Simon Champion, CEO of BOXPARK added: “Over the last 12 months, our senior leadership team and the Board have strengthened, so it’s a great time to welcome a new Chairman. Celebrating this new appointment, I would also like to thank John Leslie for his incredible contribution over the last seven years at BOXPARK, and I look forward to continuing to work with John going forward.

“We are delighted to welcome Paul to the team as we embark on our expansion plans. Paul’s long history of leadership, coupled with his experience advising national businesses makes him an ideal person for this role. I look forward to working closely with Paul to continue to ensure BOXPARK makes a positive impact for all stakeholders, including our partners, our people, and our communities.”