Greggs has announced its chief financial officer Richard Hutton will retire in the coming months after 28 years in the role.

Hutton first joined Greggs in January 1998 after several years working as a senior analyst at Proctor & Gamble and as a manager at KPMG.

His replacement, Ben Waldron, will take on the role of chief financial officer-designate and become an executive director at Greggs on 27 October 2026, taking on the full role of chief financial officer from 1 January 2027.

Prior to his new role, Waldron worked for over 14 years at the food manufacturing company Bakkavor where he variously held the roles of group chief financial officer, chief executive of Bakkavor Asia, chief executive of Bakkavor USA, and group strategy director.

Roisin Currie, chief executive of Greggs, said: “Richard has been a trusted colleague, and I have greatly valued the partnership we have built over many years. His contribution to Greggs has been outstanding, and he will leave with the warmest thanks and very best wishes from everyone across the Company.”

Currie added that she is looking forward to working together with Waldron.

In its FY2025 results, Greggs reported a four per cent drop in operating profits year on year, despite a rise in full-year sales of 6.8 per cent over the same period. The bakery noted that 2026 is likely to continue to be a challenging period for consumers and committed to expanding its shop estate to meet demand for good value products.

Greggs currently operates more than 2,700 shops across the UK and has a long-term target to operate 3,500. It opened 121 in 2025, including an eco-friendly drive-thru and expects to open approximately 120 more in 2026.

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