The Board of Oakman Inns & Restaurants, the fast-expanding pub group, has appointed a prominent industry figure, Steven Kenee as Chief Investment Officer.
He is currently a partner of Downing LLP which manages over £1bn of UK company investment. Kenee spearheaded over £156m of investments, predominantly into the pub industry, and will be joining Oakman full-time in September 2019.
Peter Borg-Neal, the CEO and Founder of Oakman Inns, commented, “Myself, Dermot King and all the Board are fiercely ambitious and are committed to the further growth of our business.
'Our pace of growth and the difficult external environment have meant that we have had to fund the business in an innovative but sometimes complex fashion.
“We now have a turnover of over £40m and several more sites in the pipeline. Steve will focus on improving both the efficiency of our funding as well as raising our future growth capital.
'We have worked closely with Steve over the past five years and have been continually impressed by his strategic ability, innovative thinking and grasp of detail. We are delighted that he has agreed to join our team and believe that he will add huge value to our future.”
Kenee commented, “Over the past 11 years at Downing I have been fortunate to work with many truly excellent and inspirational businesses, but, in Oakman, I could not have picked a better firm to join.
'During our professional relationship over the last few years, Oakman has earned my utmost personal and professional respect for their culture, values and people, which combined, make the company great.
'I am delighted to be joining the team and can’t wait to help it on the next phase of its already impressive journey.”
The appointment of Steve Kenee follows that of Dermot King, Chief Operating Officer, in January of this year as Oakman Inns prepares their strategic plans for dynamic growth.