Caffè Nero has appointed Lysa Hardy as UK chief executive officer, effective immediately.

Hardy will oversee the Caffè Nero UK business and report to founder and group CEO Gerry Ford, who retains his group-wide role. She will work alongside existing UK managing director Glyn House, who remains in post, with both jointly overseeing the UK operation.

Hardy joins the business with more than 20 years’ experience in UK retail leadership roles. Most recently, she served as CEO of Hotel Chocolat, and has previously held senior positions at T-Mobile, Joules and Holland & Barrett.

Her earlier career includes roles as chief marketing officer, chief commercial officer and chief customer officer, alongside several non-executive directorships.

Hardy’s appointment follows the departure of Will Stratton-Morris, who stepped down as Caffè Nero UK CEO in mid-2025. It also follows a record first half for the group.

Caffè Nero reported group sales of £338 million, supported by 5% like-for-like growth. UK first-half sales reached £185.4 million, up 7% year on year, with like-for-like sales growth of 5%.

Ford commented: “I’m delighted to welcome Lysa to Caffè Nero. Her experience and track record makes her a great complement to Glyn and allows us to take the UK Caffè Nero business forward in the next phase. We have considerable brand momentum in the coffee space globally and in the UK, where we continue to gain market share and have delivered record first half results.”

Hardy added: “I’m delighted to be joining the Caffè Nero UK business; it’s an exciting brand which has consistently outperformed the market. This is the leading coffee brand in the premium space and Caffè Nero is well placed to have numerous opportunities and strong growth in the years ahead. I thrilled to be working for Gerry and to be part of that journey.”