George Antoniou is promoted from Managing Director to oversee operations across nine markets in Eastern Europe and the Middle East
Global travel concession operator SSP Group has promoted George Antoniou to CEO of its Eastern Europe and Middle East (EEME) region, with immediate effect.
Antoniou joined UK-based SSP in 2001 and has served as EEME Managing Director since 2005. In a press release, the group credited Antoniou for leading its expansion into Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Bulgaria – moves which increased its presence in the region from six to nine markets.
Antoniou will now seek to build on that momentum and is tasked with boosting returns from high-growth markets. SSP currently operates 30 sites across the EEME region, including its proprietary Caffè Ritazza, Camden Food Co. and Upper Crust café brands.
“EEME represents a key growth market for SSP, and George brings a wealth of industry knowledge, deep expertise, and strong local partnerships that position him perfectly to lead our business forward as we focus on driving returns from our recent investments,” said Patrick Coveney, CEO, SSP Group.
Alongside Saudi Arabia and Qatar, SSP also operates F&B units across the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. Its Eastern Europe presence includes restaurants, cafés and bars in Cyprus, Greece, Hungary and Bulgaria.
