Pret A Manger boss Clive Schlee to step down in September

Pret A Manger said on Monday that Clive Schlee will step down as chief executive officer at the end of September after 16 years in the role.

Schlee, who will stay on at the sandwich chain as a non-executive director, will hand over to chief operating officer Pano Christou over the comings months.

Schlee said: "There is never an easy time to stop being CEO of a wonderful company, but with the completion of our Eat deal tomorrow, and the roll out of the Pret Allergy Plan, now is a good time for a new CEO to take Pret on the next stage of its journey.

"I’m really pleased Pano is taking over. He knows our shops through and through and will keep Pret true to the values that have underpinned its success."

Christou started out as an assistant manager at the Carnaby Street Pret 19 years ago, working his way up to managing director of the chain in 2014 and COO at the start of this year.

"I am honoured to follow Clive as CEO. Pret has big plans for the next few years - integrating Eat, developing Veggie Pret, delivering our digital transformation, and leading the way in supporting customers with allergies," he said. "I want to thank Clive for his leadership over the last sixteen years, and we look forward to building on his legacy."

Pret announced back in May that it was buying rival Eat for an undisclosed sum. It plans to convert as many of Eat's shops as possible to Veggie Prets in response to growing consumer demand for more vegetarian and vegan options.