Giles Cojan (left) has been named chairman of Elior’s board of directors and Pedro Fontana has been appointed the group’s interim chief executive officer.
The recruitment process for a permanent chief executive is still taking place.
Fontana is currently the firm’s deputy chief executive and boss of its Concession Catering Worldwide division.
Before joining Elior he was executive chairman of Spanish-based travel concessions specialist, Areas. His CV also includes the position of director general of the Barcelona Olympics Organising Committee for the 1994 Games.
Cojan joined Elior as chief financial officer shortly after the company’s formation in 1992.
He is credited with having implemented Elior’s push into the UK market alongside founders Robert Zolade and Francis Markus, and also with coming up with the idea of a services business within the company.
Both appointments have been effective since November 1.
Headquartered in Maccslesfield, Elior UK was formed from Avenance UK in 2005 and runs the catering operations at UK sites such as the Science Musuem and Natual History Museum, in London, and the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Warwickshire.