JW Lees strengthens management board

JW Lees has announced a number of changes to its Management Board. Simon Cross has become Director of Finance and Chris Connolly has been appointed Director of Retail.

Simon Cross joined JW Lees in October 2007 and has succeeded Glyn Bruffell who, after 27 years in the job, pronounced that he had never had a dull day’s work. Mr Bruffell has chosen to take early retirement to spend more time with his family both in the North West and at his second home in the South of France.

Simon Cross joined JW Lees from GE Commercial Finance Fleet Services where he has worked for the last six years, initially as Strategic Consulting Manager then as UK Financial Planning Leader, and latterly as UK Financial Controller. Mr Cross trained as a Chartered Accountant at BKR Haines Watts where he qualified in 2000 and then went on to gain his ATII qualification in tax at Ernst & Young in 2001.

Chris Connolly started his career as a chef in 1966 with Trust House Forte and has worked for Grand Met, Wilsons & Webster’s, Playmaster Leisure, Boddington Pubco, Greenalls and De Vere Hotels where he was Group Food and Beverage Manager from 1998 to 2006. Mr Connolly has been working as a consultant for the last two years.
Mr Connolly is a fellow of the British Institute of Innkeeping, a Council Member of the North West Wines & Spirits Association and is a regular judge at food and beverage awards and competitions.

William Lees-Jones, MD of JW Lees, said, “These changes show that we are serious about growth when most companies are cutting costs. JW Lees has ambitious plans for the future and these appointments reflect our commitment to these plans – there are plenty of opportunities out there”.

JW Lees is a sixth-generation family owned company that can trace its history back to 1828 when John Lees founded the brewery at Middleton Junction
The JW Lees Management Board is composed of William Lees-Jones (Managing Director), Simon Lees-Jones (Property), Christina Lees-Jones (Catering), Michael Lees-Jones (Quality), Giles Dennis (Production), Dean Redfern (Sales), Mark Welch (Pub Operations), Simon Cross (Finance) and Chris Connolly (Retail). Richard Lees-Jones (Chairman) and Christopher Lees-Jones (Vice Chairman) both remain executive directors of JW Lees.