Board of directors

Simon Melliss

Position: Independent non-executive director
Appointment to the Board: April 2007
Age: 56
Committee membership: Audit Committee (Chairman)
External appointments: Hammerson plc (Group Finance Director) Member of the Committee of Management of Hermes Property Unit Trust
Previous experience: Having trained as an accountant he has held a number of financial roles at Reed International PLC and Sketchley PLC, before joining Hammerson in 1991 where he became Group Finance Director in 1995. Has previously held a non-executive directorship at Associated British Ports Holdings PLC.

Anthony Habgood

Position: Chairman (since August 2005)
Appointment to the board: May 2005
Age: 62
Committee membership: Nomination Committee (Chairman)
Remuneration Committee
External appointments:
Reed Elsevier plc and NV (Chairman) - from 1 June 2009, Bunzl plc (Chairman) - until 30 June 2009, SVG Capital plc (Director) - until 6 May 2009
Previous experience:
Director of The Boston Consulting Group Inc from 1977 to 1986. Director, and then Chief Executive of Tootal Group PLC. Chief Executive of Bunzl plc. Chairman of Mölnlycke Healthcare (UK) Limited. Also held non-executive directorships at Geest PLC, Marks & Spencer Group plc, National Westminster Bank Plc and Powergen plc.

Alan Parker, CBE (June 2008)

Position: Chief Executive (since June 2004)
Appointment to the Board: May 2000
Age: 62
Committee membership: Nomination Committee
External appointments: British Hospitality Association (Director), VisitBritain (Director), University of Surrey (Visiting Professor), World Travel & Tourism Council (Director), Jumeirah Group LLC (Non-executive director)
Previous experience: Managing Director of Crest Hotels Europe, based in Frankfurt and Senior Vice-President of Holiday Inn Europe, Middle East and Africa, based in Brussels. He joined Whitbread in 1992 as Managing Director of Whitbread Hotel Company.

Christopher Rogers

Position: Finance Director
Appointment to the Board: May 2005
Age: 49
External appointments: HMV Group plc (Non-executive director)
Previous experience: Qualified as an accountant with Price Waterhouse before joining Kingfisher plc in 1988. Subsequent roles included Group Financial Controller at Kingfisher plc, Finance Director, and then Commercial Director, at Comet Group plc before becoming Finance Director at Woolworths Group plc.

Charles Gurassa

Position: Independent
non-executive director
Appointment to the Board: July 2000
Age: 53
Committee membership: Remuneration Committee (Chairman), Nomination Committee, Audit Committee
External appointments:
LOVEFilm International (Chairman), Mobileserv UK Co. Limited (Chairman), WP Roaming II S.A. (Chairman), 7 Days Limited (Chairman), National Trust Enterprises Limited (Chairman), Whizz-kidz Trading Limited (Chairman)
Previous experience: Chief Executive of Thomson Travel Group and a director of TUI AG. Previously Chairman of Virgin Mobile Holdings (UK) plc and Worldwide Excellerated Leasing Limited.

Wendy Becker

Position: Independent non-executive director
Appointment to the Board:
January 2008
Age: 43
Committee membership: Audit Committee, Remuneration Committee
External appointments: Working Families (Trustee), TalkTalk (Managing Director)
Previous experience: Partner of McKinsey & Company for 14 years, Brand Manager of Procter & Gamble, Boston Consulting Group

Patrick Dempsey

Position: Managing Director, Whitbread Hotels and Restaurants
Appointment to the Board: January 2009
Age: 50
External appointments:
Hospitality Action
Previous experience: Joined Whitbread in 2004 and has been in the hotel and restaurant business for the past thirty years. Previously he was with Forte Hotels for twenty years, before joining Compass Group as CEO of Restaurant Associates. In 2005, he became Managing Director of Premier Inn.

Philip Clarke

Position: Independent non-executive director
Appointment to the Board: January 2006
Age: 49
Committee membership: Remuneration Committee
External appointments:
Tesco PLC (Director)
Previous experience: Has ten years' board experience gained at Tesco where he has responsibility for operations in ten countries across Asia and Europe. He also is leader of the Information Technology and Business Process functions

Stephen Williams

Position: Senior Independent Director
Appointment to the Board: April 2008
Age: 61
Committee membership:
Remuneration Committee, Nomination Committee
External appointments: Unilever PLC and NV (General Counsel and Chief Legal Officer), Arriva PLC (Senior Independent Director)
Previous experience: Trained as a solicitor at Slaughter and May before joining the legal department of Imperial Chemical Industries PLC. He then joined Unilever PLC in 1986, becoming General Counsel in 1993.