Directors

Tim Martin

Chairman

Founded the company in 1979, having previously studied law at Nottingham University and qualified as a barrister. He became chairman in 1983.

John Hutson

Chief Executive Officer

Joined in 1991 and was appointed to the board in 1996. He is a graduate of Exeter University and previously worked with Allied Domecq.

Ben Whitley

Finance Director

Joined in 1999 and was appointed to the board in 2014. He is a graduate of Durham University and qualified as a chartered management accountant in 2012.

Nigel Connor

Company Secretary and Legal Director

Joined in 2009 and was appointed company secretary in 2014 and legal director in 2022.

James Ullman

Personnel and Retail Audit Director

Joined in 1994 and was appointed to the board in 2022. He is a graduate of Brighton University and Birmingham City University. He became a chartered internal auditor in 2011.

Debra van Gene

Non-Executive Director

Appointed to the board in 2006 and is chair of the remuneration committee and a member of the audit and nomination committees. She is a graduate of Oxford University.

She was a commissioner with the Judicial Appointments Commission. She was a partner at Heidrick and Struggles Inc and previously ran her own executive search firm.

Harry Morley

Non-Executive Director

Appointed to the board in 2016 and is chair of the audit committee and a member of the nomination and remuneration committees. He is a graduate of Oxford University.

He is a non-executive director of The Mercantile Investment Trust plc, TheWorks.co.uk plc and of Cadogan Group Limited and its related subsidiary companies.

He is also a trustee of the Ascot Authority. He qualified as a chartered accountant in 1991.

Ben Thorne

Non-Executive Director

Appointed to the board in 2020 and is a member of the audit, remuneration and nomination committees, chair of the nomination committee and the company's senior independent director.

He qualified as a solicitor in 1985, specialising in corporate law. He subsequently moved into investment banking in 1987 and has over 30 years’ experience in advising corporates, including (while at Kleinwort Benson) J D Wetherspoon plc, on a wide range of capital market and corporate finance issues.

He has subsequently held senior advisory posts at GCA Altium and Panmure Gordon.

He is currently a managing director at WH Ireland.

Hudson Simmons

Employee Director

Appointed to the board in 2021 and is area manager for the Sheffield area. He joined Wetherspoon as a shift manager in 1997, was appointed as a pub manager in 2003 and as an area manager in 2014.

Debbie Whittingham

Employee Director

Appointed to the board in 2021 and is regional manager for the West Midlands. She joined Wetherspoon as a shift manager in 1992, was appointed as a pub manager in 1993 and as an area manager in 2002.

Will Fotheringham

Associate Employee Director

Appointed as an associate employee director in 2021 and is general manager for the Greater Manchester, Lancashire and North Wales region. He joined Wetherspoon in 1998.

Emma Gibson

Associate Employee Director

Appointed as an associate employee director in 2021 and is pub manager of The Imperial (Exeter), one of the company’s busiest pubs. She joined Wetherspoon as a bar associate in 2004 and was appointed as a pub manager in 2010.