Gary Green to retire as COO of Compass Group, North America

Compass Group's chief operating officer of North America is retiring.

Gary Green, who has worked for the foodservice provider for nearly 40 years, will step down as COO and as a director of the board, the latter of which will take place in November.

“I would like to thank Gary for his exceptional contribution to the business. Gary was Group Chief Operating Officer for North America for 24 years and has been instrumental in making the region the most successful in our portfolio,” said Dominic Blakemore, CEO of Compass Group, in a statement. “During his tenure, Gary has led the business to deliver consistently strong financial performance.”

Palmer Brown will replace Green as North American COO, effective in December, and he will remain a director of the board. Brown previously served as chief financial officer for the company; Petros Parras, regional finance director of Europe Middle East, will assume that role. 

Brown joined Compass Group’s U.S. business 22 years ago and has held a variety of senior finance, strategy and legal roles. 

“I am delighted that the board has appointed Palmer to lead the North American business. I can’t think of a better qualified individual to take over the leadership of the region as it continues to grow in the years ahead,” said Blackmore. “I would also like to formally welcome Petros to the board. Petros has done an excellent job in EME, and I look forward to our close collaboration in the future.