The company behind Boozepark at East Croydon has appointed Michelle Farrell as its first “chief growth officer”.
Going for growth: Michell Farrell, in charge of verucas and warts at Boozepark
“It makes her sound like she’s in charge of verrucas and warts,” according to one punter stepping into the Croydon venue this morning.
The job will see Farrell oversee the sales, events, marketing and commercial functions of the business, “aligning with Boxpark’s commitment to accelerating growth and expanding its UK estate”, according to the company.
Since opening the second Boozepark at East Croydon in 2016, with the help of a £3million loan plus hefty grants from Croydon Council, the large shed has been eating the lunch of other Croydon hospitality businesses, and even the Fairfield Halls, as it has staged many of the kind of music, comedy acts and events which could have feasibly been booked to play at the council-owned arts venue on the other side of George Street.
To this day, Croydon Council continues to fuel the company’s bottom line by staging some of its public events at Boozepark.
The Boxpark business continues to expand, with its original venue at Shoreditch now joined by Boxpark Wembley and, most recently, Boxhall City, near Liverpool Street.
Farrell joins the company from Nightcap Group, operators of 45 “premium” bars, where she was group sales and marketing director.
Political expediency: Fulham supporter Tony Newman (right), the discredited ex-leader of the council, teamed up with Boozepark founder Roger Wade
“With a proven track record for cultivating digital-first teams and growing pre-booked revenue, she will help to further drive growth,” Boxpark said in announcing Farrell’s appointment.
Roger Wade, “Mr Boxpark” who pulled off the multi-million-pound subsidy deal with Croydon Council’s leadership of Jo Negrini and Tony Newman almost 10 years ago, remains a director of the parent company and Boxpark Croydon Ltd. In April 2022, Wade stepped down as CEO of the company he founded after flogging off his majority shareholding to a private equity firm, LDC.
The Boxpark business is now on to its third CEO in three years.
Matt Snell was appointed as the parent company’s chief executive in March, with Chris Burford named as chief finance officer in January.
Read more: Boxpark founder Wade to step down as business boss
Read more: Boxpark’s £3m+ in council loans and grants under Newman
Read more: Here’s just one of the questions Jo Negrini refuses to answer
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