Her new role at The Entertainer’s parent company begins 1 January 2027
TEAL Group, the parent company The Entertainer, has announced the appointment of Karen Hubbard as Group Chair.
Karen brings significant retail and board experience to the role and currently serves as a Non-Executive Director of St Austell Brewery and Headlam Group Plc. At TEAL, she will lead the group board, provide independent oversight and challenge to the executive team, and provide the primary link between the Group Board and TEAL’s owner, The Ludus Trust.
Andrew Murphy OBE, Group Chief Executive Officer, TEAL Group Holdings, said: “Following a period of significant change and excellent progress against our strategic priorities, now is the right time to introduce the Group’s first externally recruited Chair.
“Karen comes highly recommended and brings with her an excellent combination of Board and retail experience. She’s impressed all of us with her straightforward and pragmatic approach and I’m confident she’ll fit in brilliantly with the dynamic character and pace of the Group.
“As Chair, Karen will provide valuable independent oversight and challenge while helping to ensure the Group Board operates effectively and remains closely aligned with the priorities of our Ownership Trust. I’m very much looking forward to working with her as we enter the next phase of TEAL’s development.”
Karen said: “It’s an exciting time to be joining TEAL Group at such an important stage in its development. The move to employee ownership has marked a new chapter for the business, and there is a clear sense of momentum as well as ambition and purpose in the business’s plans for the future.
“As Chair, I look forward to providing the executive team with support and constructive challenge, working with the Group Board to maintain effective governance and to helping maintain a close relationship between the business and the Ownership Trust.
“TEAL has a strong portfolio of brands, a highly experienced team and plenty of opportunity ahead of it. I’m looking forward to getting to know the business and its people over the coming months and helping the Group build on the excellent progress already made.”
Karen will formally take up the role as Group Chair on 1 January 2027.
