Lees-Jones to become JW Lees MD

William Lees-Jones has been appointed managing director of JW Lees from 1 January nextyear ­ the 175th anniversary ofthe Manchester-based regionalbrewer/retailer. He currently holds a joint role as operational head of the company with his father, Richard, and his uncle, Christopher. They will both stay on the board as executive directors, and remain chairman and vice-chairman respectively. "As we are a family company, this latest appointment delivers yet another stage of succession planning, to enable the management to pass from the fifth generation to the sixth," explained spokeswoman Caroline Hopkins. "We all look forward to further developments of the business, rooted, as it is, in the traditions of brewing good beer and running friendly pubs." Known locally as "John Willie Lees," the company has made giant strides in developing its managed house division in recent years with the opening of a pub bearing the nickname in Manchester's Printworks development and the award-winning Rain bar in the city centre.