Phil Urban initially joined M&B as COO but within eight months he had been promoted to the hotseat following a senior management reshuffle at the pub and restaurant giant, which knocks out around 140 million meals and 430 million drinks each year.
Having previously served as managing director for Whitbread’s Pub Restaurant division during his career in the industry, Phil knows just what a fast-changing and unpredictable beast the foodservice market is, which explains why he’s leading a reshaping of its estate and putting renewed emphasis on organic growth rather than acquisition. 
Key brands such as Harvester, Toby Carvery, All Bar One, Miller & Carter have all been assessed in detail as the firm endeavours to build on the 9% increase in earnings it achieved during the first half of the year. Creating a balanced business and instilling a more commercial culture both feature highly on the agenda.
Phil says: “I am very clear that our best route for delivering sustainable returns for shareholders is through the acceleration of organic growth: to maximise the return on the high-quality assets we own. Our plan, to reshape the estate and innovate in both existing and new offers for our guests, is well underway and I have every confidence in its success.”
Profile
Company: Mitchells & Butlers
Address: 27 Fleet Street, Birmingham, B3 1JP
Tel: 01214 984000
Twitter: @eatdrinkmb
Website: www.mbplc.com
Focus: Pubs and restaurants
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