Nick Mackenzie Greene King

Greene King has hired Nick Mackenzie to take over the reins from outgoing CEO Rooney Anand.

Mackenzie joins from Merlin Entertainments, where he is responsible for brands such as Madame Tussauds, the London Eye and Sea Life Aquariums. He will officially become Greene King CEO on 1 May.

Prior to Merlin, he worked across a number of food and drink PLCs such as Bass, Allied Domecq and Burger King UK, for which he was development director.

He is also a non-executive at fellow brewer Daniel Thwaites - a role he will step down from as he joins Greene King.

Mackenzie’s “broad experience and track record at one of the world’s leading leisure businesses as well as his knowledge of the pub business, both early in his career and more recently as a non-executive, make him the best candidate to lead Greene King through its next phase”, said Greene King chairman Philip Yea.

“We are looking forward to Nick taking up his role when Rooney steps down at the end of the current financial year.”

Mackenzie called the brewer “a very strong business with a great portfolio of pubs and beer brands and a real commitment to its customers”.

It comes as Greene King frontrunner Old Speckled Hen made its debut in the booming alcohol-free sector before Christmas, rolling out a new 0.5% abv Old Speckled Hen Low Alcohol SKU into Tesco and indies (rsp: £1.30/500ml).