CEO of Tortilla steps down

After a 35 year long career working in hospitality, Richard Morris, CEO of Tortilla, will be stepping down from the role.

Morris has worked at Tortilla for 10 years and will be leaving the Board and from his role as CEO at the end of March 2024.

 “After an incredible 10 years with Tortilla, I feel this is the right time to step back and hand the burrito baton over to Andy and the team,” said Richard Morris, outgoing Chief Executive Officer of Tortilla.

“It has been an extraordinary and exhilarating journey, bookmarked by huge events such as Brexit, COVID-19, the development of both our franchise and delivery strategy and, of course, an IPO. The business has proved highly adaptable and remains a market leading offer in the fast casual space. I leave behind a highly qualified and inspiring Board and an outstanding Executive team who are ready  for the next stage of Tortilla’s development,” added Morris.

Commenting on Morris’ impact on the company during his career, Emma Woods, Non-Executive Chair of Tortilla said: “On behalf of everyone here at Tortilla I would like to thank Richard for his significant contribution to the business over the last 10 years.

“Under Richard’s leadership Tortilla has expanded from 14 to 89 restaurants, including franchises in the Middle East and UK travel locations, establishing itself as the nation’s largest fast casual Mexican brand with a strong and expanding portfolio of exciting growth opportunities both in the UK and overseas.”

Tortilla Mexican Grill is reportedly the largest fast-casual Mexican restaurant brand in the UK. In light of Morris’ decision, Andy Naylor who has worked alongside Richard for the last seven years, initially as Chief Financial Officer, then with added Business Development leadership responsibilities and most recently as UK Managing Director, will succeed him as Chief Executive Officer.

“The Tortilla brand has huge potential and I am excited to be taking on the role of CEO. Recent years have seen the Group take significant strides to expand our presence through our multi-channel business strategy and strengthen our platform for further profitable growth and I am looking forward to working with the team to accelerate this journey,” shared Naylor.

Stepping up to the plate: Jonny Keeling

“[Naylor’s] deep expertise across Tortilla’s operations combined with an innovative approach to growth have positioned him as a natural successor to Richard’s highly impactful tenure. His appointment marks the start of an important new chapter for Tortilla as we leverage the business’s increasing scale and momentum to drive further UK and international expansion,” continued Woods.

In further leadership announcements, Maria Denny is now the chain’s Chief Financial Officer, who will also be joining the Board as an Executive Director. Tortilla has shared that Denny has 15 years of experience in the food and retail sector and has held senior finance and accounting positions at Muller UK and Ireland, Dairy Crest Limited and most recently as CFO – UK and Ireland at Signify.

Commenting on Morris’ impact on the company during his career,  Emma Woods, Non-Executive Chair of Tortilla said: “On behalf of everyone here at Tortilla I would like to thank Richard for his significant contribution to the business over the last 10 years. Under Richard’s leadership Tortilla has expanded from 14 to 89 restaurants, including franchises in the Middle East and UK travel locations, establishing itself as the nation’s largest fast casual Mexican brand with a strong and expanding portfolio of exciting growth opportunities both in the UK and overseas.”