News has emerged Bruce Mathieson Jr has resigned as managing director of ALH, looking to pursue interests of his own.
Father and son team, Bruce Mathieson Senior and Junior, created Australia’s largest portfolio of pubs, under the banner of Australian Leisure & Hospitality (ALH).
In recent years Jr has been the Mathieson in charge of the pubs and hotels business, the pubs arm of Endeavour Group, and attributed with growth of the business from 200 to 341 hotels, including five managed clubs.
In June Endeavour launched on the ASX, following approval by shareholders of Woolworths, which previously owned 75 per cent of the business. Mathieson Snr remains the largest shareholder of Endeavour (ASX:EDV), holding nearly 15 per cent.
The senior Mathieson, one of Australia’s rich-listers, bought his first pub in 1975 and forged a family legacy that followed through to his son.
But now, according to a statement by EDV on the ASX today, the father and son team may be coming to an end, as Jr looks to “pursue other interests” when he steps down as managing director in December.
“Bruce has been instrumental in leading the Hotels business through a significant period, which has
included the successful completion of the merger of ALH Group with Endeavour Drinks to create Endeavour Group in July 2019, the demerger of Endeavour Group and Woolworths in June of this year, and navigating the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Endeavour Group Managing Director and CEO, Steve Donohue.
Speculation has already begun on the motive for the move, but it comes shortly after PubTIC broke the news the older Mathieson was part of the newly-formed Merrimac Operations P/L – purchaser of the freehold of the Merrivac Tavern, on the Gold Coast.
The company, formed in April, lists Patrick Terence Jackman and Bruce Joseph Mathieson as directors, and ALH and Bruce Mathieson Group director Ross Blair-Holt as secretary.
Donohue says a recruitment process will soon commence to find a replacement for Mathieson at ALH.
PubTIC was unable to make contact with Mathieson Jr.
