Jan 23 (Reuters) - Upper Crust owner SSP said

on Thursday Geert Verellen will join in early April as CFO

designate, as current finance head and deputy CEO Jonathan

Davies decided to retire after 20 years with the company.

Verellen will take on the role of CFO and join the board

from June 9, 2025, and Davies will remain on the board until

Sept. 30 and continue as Deputy CEO until the end of December

2025, London-based SSP said.

Verellen comes from Canadian consumer packaged goods maker

Maple Leaf Foods ( MLFNF ), where he has been CFO for four years.

The management changes come over a month after the cafes,

bars and restaurants operator said it was planning an initial

public offering in India of airport lounge operator Travel Food

Services, its venture with K Hospitality Corp.

(Reporting by Chandini Monnappa in Bengaluru; Editing by Rashmi

Aich and Subhranshu Sahu)