Joining Whitbread 1984 as a Graduate, Robin as Retail Director developed and lead pub & restaurant brands through the ’80s & ‘90s with Diageo, Scottish & Newcastle and TRG PLCs, before joining YO! Sushi as CEO & Partner in 1999. Over 20 years, Robin built this iconic fast-casual popular restaurant chain from three to ~100 company restaurants, both in the UK & USA, including 16 franchise restaurants in international airports and the Gulf. Robin led YO! Sushi’s MBOs in Sept 2003, Mar 2008 and in Nov 2015. In 2017 he led the acquisition of Bento Sushi in Canada/USA creating a $200m turnover group. He stepped down from Chair/CEO role at YO! at the end of year and remained a NED with the company until July 2019. Between 2010-2019 served on Marstons PCL, Tortilla & Eathos (ME) Boards. Robin has been recognised by the sector receiving MCA’s ’Retailer of the Year’, Caterer ‘Group Restauranteur’, Peach ‘Hospitality Industry Icon’ and was awarded an OBE in 2015 for ‘outstanding services to hospitality’. From Jan 2018 Robin moved to help set up a dedicated transatlantic restaurant fund as the EU Partner with Trispan Private Equity. Today the ‘Rising Stars’ fund has invested ~$500m in 11 restaurant companies currently with ~275 restaurants. Today Robin chairs Pho, Rosa Thai, Mowgli, Thunderbird, Rosa Mexicano (in USA) and Flat Iron and is a Non Exec Director with Fullers PLC, UKH and Caffe Nero.