Greene King names Clair Preston-Beer as CEO to succeed Nick Mackenzie
The chief digital and commercial officer will take over in March 2027, becoming the first woman to lead the pub group in its 227-year history.
Greene King has appointed Clair Preston-Beer as chief executive, succeeding Nick Mackenzie, who is stepping down after nearly eight years leading the pub group, according to The Morning Advertiser.
Preston-Beer, currently chief digital and commercial officer, will take up the post in March 2027. She will be the first female CEO in the company’s 227-year history.
Mackenzie will remain on Greene King’s board to support the handover. The change follows the launch of the group’s 2030 strategy.
A career inside the business
Preston-Beer joined Greene King in 2020 as managing director of Greene King pubs. She became chief operating officer in 2024 and moved into her current role earlier this year.
Before that, she spent more than 16 years at Whitbread, where her roles included managing director of Costa Coffee for the Middle East and Asia. She also sits on the board of the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA).
Preston-Beer said she was honoured to take on the role and would continue to deliver the group’s growth plans. She described a strategy focused on “growing share in a challenging environment”.
She said that means building up Greene King’s core brands and making its digital services part of customers’ everyday experience. Spending on data and artificial intelligence (AI) will stay high on the agenda, she added, as a way to run its pubs more effectively and improve what guests experience.
The Mackenzie years
Mackenzie’s time in charge included Greene King’s £2.7bn acquisition by its current owner, CK Asset Holdings, in 2019. It also covered investment in the company’s digital operations and plans for a new brewery in Bury St Edmunds.
The rollout of Hickory’s also took place under his leadership. The business won Best Pub Operations Team at the 2026 Publican Awards.
Mackenzie called leading Greene King the privilege of his career. He said he had worked closely with Preston-Beer for the last six years and regarded her as an exceptionally well-qualified successor who shares his passion for the industry.
Gerald Ma, an executive committee member at CK Asset Holdings, thanked Mackenzie for his contribution. He said Preston-Beer had played a significant role in shaping the company’s strategy and operational development.
Preston-Beer’s background on the digital and commercial side of the business matches the priorities she has set out. Her stated focus on digital services, data and AI suggests technology will feature prominently in how Greene King runs its pubs under her leadership.