Thomas Heier has exited his position as chief executive of Wagamama UK after serving in the role for four years.
Heier joined Wagamama in 2017 as people director and became chief executive in 2021, leading the company through the latter stages of the pandemic and navigating significant cost pressures.
He will be succeeded by Mark Chambers, currently chief financial officer at Wagamama’s parent company, The Restaurant Group (TRG), effective from 2 June.
Chambers previously headed TRG’s leisure and concessions division — overseeing brands such as Chiquito’s and Frankie & Benny’s — which TRG transferred to the Big Table Group in 2023 in a £7.5m deal.
Heier said: “Whilst I’m extremely excited about what comes next, I leave knowing the business is in a strong position for the future, and I look forward to watching the next phase of growth and innovation. I’ll always be cheering the team on from the sidelines.”
Wagamama runs 160 restaurants across the UK, along with approximately 50 franchised locations throughout Europe and the Middle East.
It also operates seven restaurants in the United States, with locations in cities such as New York, Boston, and Tampa.
The group has also announced leadership changes in its North American division, with Stephen Judge appointed as chief executive effective 9 June.
Judge, who grew up in the UK and began his career as a professional chef, is currently CEO of Gibsons Restaurant Group and previously led café operations at Hard Rock International.
Judge will report to TRG chief executive Andy Hornby, who is now assuming responsibility for Wagamama’s international operations.
At the time, both TRG and Apollo highlighted international expansion of Wagamama as a key strategic priority for the business.
