High-end resorts investor Dolphin Capital has appointed Andrew Coppel CBE as a non-executive director.
He will join the strategy and oversight committee immediately and from 1 January 2016, when Roger Lane Smith steps down, will assume the roles of senior independent director and chairman of the company’s nomination and governance committees.
Coppel has more than 20 years’ experience within the hospitality and leisure sectors in chairman, chief executive and/or senior board level roles and is a non-executive director of Crest Nicholson.
From 2011 to 2015, Coppel was chief executive of De Vere Group, where he led a team overseeing the sales of the group’s three main divisions to US private equity firms, resulting in the repayment of debt to Lloyds Banking Group of more than £1bn.
Coppel was chairman and chief executive of McCambridge Group from 2008 to 2009 and chief executive of Jockey Club Racecourses from 2004 to 2007.
In a non-executive capacity, he was the first chair of Tourism Ireland, holding the post from 2001 to 2007; chair of London Irish Rugby Football Club from 2008 to 2011; and has sat on Lloyds Bank’s Advisory Board on Ireland.
Coppel was awarded a CBE in 2009 for services to Irish tourism.
Miltos Kambourides, founder of Dolphin and managing partner of Dolphin Capital Partners, said: “We are excited to be strengthening the Dolphin Capital board with the addition of Andrew, a seasoned resort, tourism and real estate professional, who will bring valuable experience and insights to the company.
“We look forward to working with Andrew towards implementing our refocused strategic plan as we continue to transform Dolphin Capital to create maximum shareholder value.”
alex.peace@estatesgazette.com
