Greene King names Clair Preston-Beer as its next chief executive

Greene King has appointed Clair Preston-Beer as chief executive, The Morning Advertiser reports. She takes over in March 2027 from Nick Mackenzie, who steps down in February after nearly eight years. He stays on the board to support the handover.

The appointment - Preston-Beer is currently chief digital and commercial officer. She joined in 2020 as managing director of Greene King pubs and became chief operating officer in 2024. - She spent more than 16 years at Whitbread, including as managing director of Costa Coffee for the Middle East and Asia, and sits on the board of the British Beer and Pub Association. - She is the first woman to lead Greene King in its 227-year history.

The Mackenzie years: the £2.7bn acquisition by CK Asset Holdings in 2019, investment in digital, the Hickory's rollout, which won Best Pub Operations Team at the 2026 Publican Awards, and plans for a new brewery in Bury St Edmunds.

The plan: Preston-Beer said the strategy is about growing share in a challenging environment, with investment in data and artificial intelligence to improve pub operations.

What it means for operators: this is an internal succession from the commercial and digital side, announced after the launch of the 2030 strategy. Our read is continuity, with digital central to how Greene King runs its pubs.