Creams appoints new CEO: Dessert parlour operator Creams has appointed Everett Fieldgate as its new chief executive as the company enters its next stage of growth internationally and in the UK. Othman Shoukat will remain as managing director until the end of year for a smooth transition before stepping down from the day-to-day running of the business. He will remain on the board of directors to support the senior team’s growth and brand development plans. With more than 17 years spent working exclusively in the food and hospitality industries, Everett brings a wealth of relevant experience to Creams across casual dining, quick service restaurant and global franchising. Born in Australia, the first 15 years of his career were spent with global beverage giant Lion Nathan and the country’s largest producer of biscuits, Arnott’s. He joins Creams from Dubai where he worked across multiple disciplines as franchisor and Franchisee with Yum! Brands, Americana and Costa Coffee where he went on to become the coffee brand’s general manager for emerging markets before being appointed general manager European franchise. Prior to that, he was at KFC UK & Ireland where he rose through the ranks from commercial director to regional operations director before being promoted to chief financial officer and then chief development officer of the MENA business. Shoukat said: “We are delighted to have found a chief executive with exactly the right balance of operational, franchise management, international expansion and brand development experience. Everett’s passion for the industry in general, and the Creams brand, combined with his drive and his strong skill set means he is perfectly placed to take the brand forward. I can’t wait to see what the future holds under his leadership.” Fieldgate added: “The brand has been building momentum over the past few years and is now poised to expand further in the UK and internationally. As someone who is passionate about building great teams, I am looking forward to working with our board, franchisees and all our store teams to bring these moments of joy to our customers as we deliver innovation and exceptional experiences.” Since the start of the covid-19 pandemic, Creams has opened 12 new restaurants and secured a pipeline of a further 15 sites. It has strengthened its senior team to support its growth plans with several new appointments including Christian Chaumette as chief operating officer. Creams will also be introducing a head of people and culture in the coming weeks to further bolster its capabilities. Record sales were achieved in 2021 and, most recently, Creams delivered an emergency support package to support its franchise partners as they navigate through the cost-of-living crisis. Creams features in Propel’s UK Food and Beverage Franchisor Database, which is an exhaustive guide to the companies offering a food and beverage franchise in the UK and is available exclusively to Premium subscribers. The latest edition features 155 companies and almost 70,000 words of content, providing insight on the offer, locations, cost and other key details. The database is updated every two months. Companies can now have an unlimited number of people receive access to Propel Premium for a year for £895 plus VAT – whether they are an operator or a supplier. The single subscription rate is £445 plus VAT for operators and £545 plus VAT for suppliers. Email jo.charity@propelinfo.com to upgrade your subscription.