Christopher Smith has been appointed non-executive director (finance) to the board of Heron and Brearley. Mr Smith, 58, is deputy chief executive officer, deputy chairman and interim chief executive officer of Thomas Miller Investment (Isle of Man) Limited where his responsibilities extend to seeking global investment opportunities and heading the company’s UK and international expansion activities. A trained chartered accountant with extensive experience in finance and merchant banking at board level Mr Smith possesses an in-depth knowledge across a broad range of industry sectors, including brewing and retail and is a well respected figure in the City of London. He is a member of the Association of Corporate Treasurers and works in the Isle of Man, London and Edinburgh. As a non-executive director of Heron and Brearley, the Island’s largest hospitality company with more than 800 employees, Mr Smith will be working with his fellow board members and senior management colleagues to support the company’s governance functions and contribute to its future strategic development. Mr Smith said: ‘I am pleased to accept the invitation to join the Heron and Brearley board. As a company established more than 114 years ago, Heron and Brearley clearly has a tradition of responding positively to consumers’ changing demands, managing difficult trading conditions, and embracing innovation. It is against this background that I am looking forward to working with my Heron and Brearley colleagues to grow the business and achieve the aspirations of its people, its shareholders and its customers.’ Heron and Brearley’s chairman Jonathan Clague said: ‘We are delighted to welcome Christopher to the Heron and Brearley board. He joins at a pivotal time for the company. Locally we are developing our Isle of Man operation with new customer offerings and, further afield, we are strengthening our presence in the UK, exemplified by our recent acquisition of the Market Town Taverns estate in north Yorkshire. With his extensive experience at executive level across a wide range of disciplines and intuitive appreciation of the Heron and Brearley operation Christopher will make a invaluable contribution to the Group’s commitment to delivering continued resilient performance and taking the business forward.’ ENDS