HRG has announced that Nigel Northridge will be appointed as non-executive director from January 1 and as chairman from April 2016.
Northridge is currently chairman of Debenhams and the senior independent director at retail and services firm Inchcape. He has spent 32 years with Gallaher Group including seven years as chief executive between 2000 and 2007 where he “drove consistent and significant growth in shareholder value”.
Northridge has also previously served as a non-executive director of Aggreko, Thomas Cook Group and Aer Lingus Group and as chairman of Paddy Power until May 2015.
John Coombe, chairman of the company, said: "I am delighted that the board has chosen to appoint as my successor someone with the extensive and relevant experience of Nigel Northridge".
The travel management company has also confirmed that William Brindle, the group’s chief information officer, is to be appointed to the board of the company as an executive director.
The appointment will take effect from January 1 2016.