Hotel Chocolat has promoted its UK managing director and group marketing officer Lysa Hardy to the role of chief executive after the retailer was bought out by confectionery giant Mars in a £534m deal at the end of last year.
Hardy, who joined the retailer in 2018, succeeds co-founder Angus Thirlwell who has moved into the role of president at Hotel Chocolat.
During her time at the retailer, Hardy helped double the size of its UK business and create the popular hot chocolate machine, The Velvetiser.
She was a non-executive at Superdry until July this year and has also held senior positions in fashion retailer Joules and health and wellness giant Holland & Barrett.
This comes after Hotel Chocolat accepted a £534m acquisition bid from Mars in November 2023. At the time, the retailer said the bid represented a 168.8% premium on its current 139p share price at the close of business yesterday, and that Mars was “culturally aligned” with Hotel Chocolat’s “shared values of quality, sustainability and purpose”.
It added that “Mars believes it is well-positioned to support Hotel Chocolat’s next growth phase with its international footprint, global supply chain and extensive commercial relationships” which will provide the retailer “with an enhanced platform for growth in the UK and potentially in new geographies.”
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