McCarthy Stone orders CFO from Pizza Express

Retirement communities specialist McCarthy Stone has appointed Jo Bennett as chief financial officer. She will join the developer and property manager on 9 April and will sit on the group’s board and its executive committee. Bennett was previously chief business officer at Pizza Express where she was responsible for finance, legal, IT, property, the value creation plan, business transformation and the supply chain. Prior to this, Jo was group chief financial officer of Hilding Anders Group, a global bed and mattress manufacturer and retailer. She has also held roles at KKR Capstone, TPG Capital, Jacques Vert Group, Alvarez & Marsal, Goldman Sachs and EY.  Bennett’s role at McCarthy will focus on delivering the businesses growth, helping the group take full advantage of improving market conditions to build and sell 2,000 homes, and acquiring 50 sites a year.  She will also aid in operating McCarthy’s 530 open retirement communities, including its 120 housing with care schemes. McCarthy Stone chief executive John Tonkiss said: “Jo will help to further strengthen our robust balance sheet and manage our investment in our land and construction pipeline to meet the unprecedented demand for better housing and care in later life, as well as helping us to operate our existing retirement communities around the UK.”