Pub giant Greene King names its first female chief executive in its 227-year history to take over in March

Clair Preston-Beer, currently Greene King's chief digital and commercial officer, will take the helm of Britain's second-largest pub chain in March 2027, succeeding Nick Mackenzie after nearly eight years at the top. Preston-Beer joined the Bury St Edmunds-based brewer in 2020 as managing director of pubs and rose through two further senior roles before her appointment. She previously spent 16 years at Whitbread, helping scale Costa Coffee before its sale to Coca-Cola.

Mackenzie will step down at the end of February and remain on the board to support the handover transition.

Preston-Beer says Greene King has an 'ambitious strategy focused on growing share in a challenging environment', with AI and data investment central to her plans.

Greene King is also building a new brewery in Bury St Edmunds, due to open next year, as the company focuses its production on its own pub estate.