Pret A Manger appoints Ross Warnes as UK & Ireland President from January 2026 

UK – Pret A Manger has announced the appointment of Ross Warnes as its new president for the UK and Ireland, effective from January 2026, strengthening leadership in its largest and most strategic market. 

Warnes joins the fresh food and coffee chain from Kraft Heinz, where he spent nine years in senior leadership positions. His roles included area vice president overseeing the company’s largest business unit in the United States, vice president of sales for Northern Europe, and UK and Ireland sales director.  

Prior to Kraft Heinz, he held senior commercial roles at Unilever and Nestlé in the UK, building extensive experience across major food and beverage brands. 

In his new position, Warnes will be responsible for overseeing more than 500 Pret shops across the UK and Ireland. His mandate will focus on growing market share, increasing customer transactions, and delivering enhanced value to consumers as the brand continues to evolve its offering. 

The appointment follows the departure of Clare Clough, Pret’s former managing director for Europe, who left the company in September after 15 years of service. The leadership transition comes at a time when Pret is executing a broad strategy to accelerate growth in both domestic and international markets. 

Pret chief executive officer Pano Christou welcomed the appointment, highlighting Warnes’ background in scaling food brands and leading high-performing teams. He said Warnes’ experience would be central to driving UK market share growth, boosting transactions, and strengthening value for customers. 

Commenting on his appointment, Warnes said he has long admired the Pret brand, citing its freshly prepared food, organic coffee, and customer-focused service. He noted that joining Pret presents an opportunity to contribute to the next phase of the company’s development across the UK and Ireland. 

The leadership change coincides with several ongoing initiatives at Pret, including new shop openings in travel hubs, menu innovations such as meal deals and made-to-order bakery items, and recent senior appointments, including Matthew Bresnahan as chief marketing officer. 

In its 2024 financial year, Pret A Manger reported a 10% increase in sales to £1.2 billion (US$1.6 billion). Like-for-like sales rose 2.8%, while continued expansion lifted the group’s global estate to 717 stores, reflecting steady progress under its medium-term growth strategy. 

Sign up HERE to receive our email newsletters with the latest news and insights from Africa and around the world, and follow us on our WhatsApp channel for updates.