SSP chair Clasper steps down after five years

(Sharecast News) - Airport hospitality group SPP has announced the retirement of its chair Mike Clasper after five and a half years at the helm. As SSP finalises a multi-year strategic review, Clasper said now was the right time to step away "to enable the appointment of a new chair who can help realise the full scale of these ambitions in the years ahead", bringing forward his planned retirement by one year.

Clasper, who joined as a non-executive director in November 2019 before being appointed chair in February 2020, will step down at the company's AGM in January.

SSP's board has now kickstarted a search for his successor, led by senior independent director Carolyn Bradley, who will become interim chair if a replacement has not been appointed by the AGM.

The company's search will focus on candidates who will be able to help "drive strategy and execution as we enter the next phase of delivery", Bradley said.

"On behalf of the board, I would like to express our gratitude to Mike for his strong contribution and dedicated service to SSP over the last six years. His leadership and business insights have been critical in steering SSP through the challenging Covid period and, most recently, through a year of tightened focus on performance."