Aramark (NYSE: ARMK) is a leading service and solutions provider within the Northern Europe region. We proudly support clients, partners and customers in food, facilities management, property services, and retail solutions. Our work strives to contribute to a better world for both people and the planet, including commitments to engage our employees; empower healthy consumers; build local communities; source ethically, inclusively and responsibly; operate efficiently and reduce waste. Aramark employs over 16,000 people throughout Northern Europe.
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It’s no wonder the industry is following our leaders
Our leadership team uses years of experience to drive innovation within Aramark and the industry.
EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP TEAM
Frank Gleeson
CEO and Region President, Northern Europe
Frank Gleeson is President of Aramark’s operations in Northern Europe (NE). Aramark NE is one of the largest integrated services suppliers of facilities management, food services, retail, and property in Ireland, UK, Scandinavia and the Gulf of Arabia. As President and Chief Executive Officer for Aramark NE, Frank is responsible for strategic and operational leadership for all food and facilities management services across a variety of industries in these international markets. He will focus on accelerating growth, managing cost and productivity, and delivering high-quality products and services to its blue-chip client base.
Frank joined Aramark in 2013 from Topaz Energy Group where he was Retail Director and before that he worked for a variety of retail and hospitality companies including Statoil, O’Briens off license group, and Xtravision/Blockbuster.
A graduate of the Irish Management Institute, Frank has long been a board member of IBEC and is currently President of IBEC for 2021 - 2022. Last year, Frank was reappointed to the Government’s Labour Market Council. He is a former Chairman of Retail Ireland; a former board member of the National Transport Authority and was elected Chairman of NACS, the international trade association of convenience stores from 2018 - 2019.
Tom Neville
Finance Director, Northern Europe
Tom Neville joined Aramark in 2019 and is CFO for Aramark’s operations in Northern Europe.
As CFO, Tom is responsible for optimising the financial performance of Aramark Northern Europe, including its reporting, cashflows, control environment and profitability.
Tom is an accomplished Finance leader with over 20 years' finance experience across a diverse range of industries including utilities, FMCG and building materials.
Tom previously held senior finance leadership roles with French multinational Veolia Environnement, and Irish Plcs, Aryzta AG and Kingspan.
Jim O'Brien
HR Director, Northern Europe
Jim O’Brien joined Aramark in 2019 as HR Director for Aramark’s operations in Northern Europe.
As HR Director, Jim is responsible for attracting, engaging and developing Aramark’s nearly 18,000 employees in Northern Europe, across food services, facilities management, retail and property.
Jim’s areas of expertise include organisation effectiveness, talent management, leadership development and reward.
Jim is an accomplished HR leader with over 20 years' HR experience, spanning global multinationals, including Diageo, and major Irish companies, including Bank of Ireland.
Jim has worked internationally in the US and the UK, and performed a global leadership role with a multi-region footprint (Europe, Africa and Asia Pacific) with Diageo.
Jim is a law graduate from Trinity College Dublin, and a non-Executive Director in the not-for-profit sector.
Helen Milligan-Smith
Managing Director, Food Services & Defence Services UK
Helen Milligan-Smith is UK Managing Director for Aramark, taking over the role in January 2021.
Helen rose to sector prominence as a Finalist of the 2011 UK Apprentice, after which she took on the role of Head of Retail in Greggs UK. Since then, she delivered growth and operational leadership in Sysco – dealing with both partners/suppliers and competitors in the contract catering and food service industry. She joined Aramark UK from her role as Head of M&S Simply Foods, now leading Aramark’s operational growth and innovation strategy for all UK markets. Helen has a degree in Law and is a member of the IOD and UK Hospitality.
Shane Flynn
Managing Director, Food Services, Facilities Management & Avoca, Ireland
Shane recently took over from Frank Gleeson as Managing Director of Aramark Food Services in Ireland in 2017. He is an experienced catering & retail professional, educated to master’s degree level, with over 25 years’ industry experience. Shane joined Aramark in 2015 as an Operations Director. He has overseen and provided leadership to our Front Line team on a number of our key accounts including Croke Park, Guinness Storehouse, Apple, Tesco and UCD.
Shane provides guidance and direction to our Operations Directors and ensures our client sites are managed efficiently and effectively. He has demonstrated exceptional ability to build and lead top performing teams focused on exceeding goals in the areas of sales, marketing, and sector development/ management. Shane is also the current Chair of Retail Ireland.
Louise Phillips
Managing Director, Property, Northern Europe
Louise has been working with Aramark Property for the past 2 years as Managing Director with over 25 years’ experience in asset, estate and property management, development and negotiations. A qualified chartered surveyor with a broad, extensive background in every aspect of property development and management including acquisitions, disposals, lease agreements, lettings, rental negotiations, landlord and tenant negotiations, planning and project management; Louise is responsible for Aramark’s property team’s property management of more than 29 million square feet and rent collection of €350 million.
Louise leads Aramark’s management of the 12 million sq ft Irish Life portfolio as well as other portfolio of assets with clients including Green Reit, Blackstone, Kennedy Wilson and the Central Bank. Her role spans across property and asset management and advice, including redevelopment, refurbishment opportunities, lease renewals and reviews, surrenders, lettings, service charge analysis, review and optimization, planned and preventative maintenance, dilapidations, space optimization and space planning.
Andrew Thomson
Managing Director, Global Offshore
Andrew joined Aramark in 2006 as Operations Director in the Offshore Division and was promoted to Managing Director, Offshore, North Sea in 2014.
In 2018 Andrew was appointed as Managing Director for Aramark’s Global Offshore Operations.
Andrew is the current Chairman of the Caterers Offshore Trade Association and has served as a Board Member of industry body Oil & Gas UK for three years.
Prior to this he held senior positions in the retail and leisure industries.
Andrew graduated with a BA in commerce from the RGU Business School.
David Barker
Sales Director, Northern Europe
David is an accomplished sales leader with more than 22 years of commercial experience in the facilities, food and wider services sector. He joined Aramark in 2010 from Cuisine de France, where he acted as Retail Director.
His experience spans both Irish enterprises and those with a European and global footprint. Within Aramark, he has focused his diverse sales team around a results orientation. In his current role, David has strategic oversight for all aspects of new business and our client retention strategies for the Northern Europe food, FM and off-shore business. His leadership provides strategic guidance and direction to the Business Development and Sales Support teams.
Martina Donohoe
Quality & Safety Director, Northern Europe
Martina Donohoe, Quality and Safety Director is the person responsible for the implementation and operation of the organisations health and safety policy.
Aramark employ a team of health and safety professionals and each operation has a dedicated standards officer who provides support and advice in the areas of health and safety, food safety and quality.
Martina is responsible for health and safety holds a BSc. (Hons) in Environmental Health and H.Dip in Safety & Health at Work. All standards officers hold a qualification in safety and are trained risk assessors and manual handling instructors.
Jennifer Martin
Innovation and Marketing Director, Northern Europe
Jennifer Martin is Marketing and Innovation Director for Northern Europe. Jen, who joined Aramark in January 2022, is responsible for creating market leading strategies that are robust, commercially viable and salient to the client and customer.
Jennifer joins Aramark from her previous role as Chief Operating Officer at The Vet, a privately-owned group of veterinary centres, following a successful turnaround and sale. Prior to this, Jennifer worked within the hospitality sector gaining a wealth of experience at TGI Friday’s, Marston’s PLC, and The Restaurant Group PLC, where she developed a broad range of brands and concepts across high street bars, restaurants, pubs and hotels.
Stephen Brennan
Supply Chain and Procurement Director, Northern Europe
Stephen joined Aramark in 2014 initially to lead the Supply Chain & Procurement function in Ireland. In 2016 Stephen assumed the Supply Chain Leadership role for our UK business also. Currently Stephen manages a high performing team based between the Aramark Ireland and UK offices. He manages all supply chain activity and strategy for our Foodservice and Facilities within Northern Europe, as well as our Global Offshore business.
An experienced and proven Procurement Professional, with almost two decades Foodservice & Wholesale experience, Stephen has a passion for sourcing innovative product solutions and for supporting regional indigenous suppliers. Stephen pioneered our Aramark Star Supplier search program which has featured at Catex and ScotHot in recent years giving smaller, regional start-ups, an opportunity to showcase their business to Aramark.
Stephen holds a BA in International Marketing & Languages from DCU and is an active member of Naomh Mearnog GAA Club. Stephen resides in North County Dublin with his wife and 2 children.
Raj Chawla
VP Business Excellence, International/Northern Europe
Raj Chawla, VP Business Excellence - International/NE has been with Aramark for over 9 years. Raj is a qualified accountant and has worked in various Finance and Commercial transformational initiatives over the last 19 years. Most recently, in his current role, Raj is closely working with colleagues across the company to develop effective programs that establish common Aramark operating standards and processes that enable our operators to efficiently achieve outcomes to the delight of our customers, clients, and teams.
Before joining Aramark, Raj held a variety of finance and operational roles with FirstGroup Plc, a UK based international public transport company where he joined as a senior management trainee after obtaining MBA degree from the University of Hull, UK.
Emily Ennis
Legal Director, Northern Europe
Emily Ennis joined Aramark in 2019, as AVP and Assistant General Counsel Northern Europe.
Emily leads the legal function for Aramark’s food, facilities management and property business in Ireland and the UK and Aramark’s global offshore business.
Emily is a key member of the Aramark Northern Europe Management team, advising and enabling the business to achieve its objectives, whilst mitigating risk.
Prior to joining Aramark, Emily was Head of Legal for Aer Rianta International (ARI), a global duty free retailer with operations in Europe, the Middle East, Asia Pacific and the Americas. Emily also spent seven years as a corporate and commercial solicitor with Arthur Cox advising international companies.
Emily is a graduate of UCD and the Honorable Society of Kings Inns and has been recognised by The Legal 500 in The GC Powerlist Ireland as an influential and innovative corporate counsel passionate about driving the business forward. Emily is also a mentor for The Law Society of Ireland’s Women in Leadership Mentoring Programme.