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Unite appoints Patrick Dempsey as non-executive director – 14 January 2016

10 November 2016

The Unite Group plc, the UK’s largest provider of student accommodation, today announces that Patrick Dempsey OBE will join its Board as a Non-Executive Director, with effect from 1st March 2016. 

From March 2004 until February 2015, Patrick was managing director of Whitbread Hotels & Restaurants. He also sat as an executive director on the Board of Whitbread PLC, a FTSE50 company and the UK’s largest hospitality company between January 2009 and February 2015. During his time with Whitbread, he oversaw the rapid growth of Premier Inn to an estate of approximately 700 hotels and 60,000 rooms.  

Including his time at Whitbread he has worked for more than 30 years in the hotel and restaurant business, and has held posts including Chief Executive of Macdonald Hotels, managing director of Forte Hotels UK and Chief Executive of Restaurant Associates, part of Compass Group plc. Patrick was also awarded an OBE in the 2012 Queen’s Honours list for his services to the hospitality industry.

Phil White, Chairman of Unite, commented:

“I am delighted to welcome Patrick to the Board as a Non-Executive Director. His experience and knowledge of running and growing large service orientated brands will strengthen the expertise of the board at a time when students and universities are becoming ever more demanding in their expectations of student accommodation.”

Patrick Dempsey added:

“Unite has a market leading position in the UK student accommodation sector, providing a home for over 46,000 students in 138 properties across 28 of the strongest university towns and cities. The parallels between the hotel sector and student accommodation are striking and I look forward to using my experience to support Unite’s ongoing expansion and the development of its brand.”

No further details remain to be disclosed, as required under LR 9.6.13R of the listing rules of the UK Listing Authority in relation to Patrick Dempsey.