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Source: Odeon

Suzie Welch

Odeon Cinemas Group (OCG) has appointed Suzie Welch as managing director of Odeon UKI, overseeing the exhibition chain’s operations in the UK and Ireland.

Welch takes on the role on a permanent basis with immediate effect. She had been interim managing director since March 2023, following the departure of previous managing director Carol Welch (no relation) in January of this year.

Suzie Welch will continue her responsibilities as chief people officer, having been in that role since joining OCG in August 2019.

OCG has also promoted Zarah Doyle to European talent director and people director UKI. Doyle will be responsible for the group’s European strategy for talent, leadership and DEI, alongside her existing UKI responsibilities.

“Suzie is a forward-looking, innovative and agile leader and the right person to take our UKI business to the next level,” said Mark Way, president of AMC Europe which owns the Odeon chain and managing director of OCG.

Prior to joining Odeon, Suzie Welch previously worked in the hospitality sector at food and beverage chains Pizza Express, Costa Coffee and TGI Friday’s.

OCG is Europe’s largest cinema operator by number of sites, with 280 cinemas and 2,500 screens across the UK, Ireland, Sweden, Finland, Norway, Spain, Italy, Germany and Portugal.

Odeon UKI recently recorded its busiest weekend in over four years from July 21-23, with the first four days of the Barbenheimer phenomenon bringing in 1m admissions. The chain also sold 610,000 litres of popcorn, 230,000 litres of drinks and 49,000 portions of nachos on the opening weekend of Barbie and Oppenheimer alone.