Whitbread has appointed Jonathan Howell as an independent non-executive director and chair of its audit committee, effective from 1 January 2026.
Howell is stepping down later this year as group chief financial officer of Sage, a role he has held since 2018.
He previously spent a decade as CFO at Close Brothers Group and nine years as CFO of the London Stock Exchange Group, having begun his career at Price Waterhouse.
He is currently also a non-executive director and audit chair at Experian, and was previously a non-executive director at Sage before joining its executive team.
Horst Baier, who has been serving as interim chair of the audit committee, will remain on the board and continue as a committee member.
Christine Hodgson, chair of Whitbread, said: “Jonathan has vast experience in both executive and non-executive roles in a variety of different companies.
“His international outlook and experience in technology and data-led businesses will be of great benefit to the Whitbread board as we continue to deliver on our key strategic priorities and five-year plan.”
