Six-months sabbatical for Martin as he goes travelling
by The PMA Team JD Wetherspoon founder Tim Martin has taken six months of unpaid leave to go travelling. Martin turned off his telephone on Monday morning and, apart from attending board meetings, will be away until 29 Marchnext year. The move took the City by surprise not least because it was accidentally announced by the company's merchant bank just before 5pm last Friday it was due to be revealed on Monday morning. Martin, who often spends his holidays walking the coastline of Cornwall, has been thinking about taking a break from the business for a couple of years. Company spokesman Eddie Gershon said: "It's never been quite the right time. As far as I'm concerned there's absolutely no question of him not coming back. "He's been here 24 years Wetherspoon staff get an extra four or five weeks off when they've been here for 10 years. I think travelling is part of what he wants to do I'd love to do it myself." In his absence, JD Wetherspoon will be run by its management team including managing director John Hutson, commercial director Suzanne Baker and finance director Jim Clarke. Martin will be non-executive chairman during his sabbatical and will attend board meetings once a month or so. Martin said: "The executive directors and senior managers at Wetherspoon are extremely experienced, having worked for the company for many years. I am extremely confident they will manage the business very well in my absence and I look forward to finding the company in even better shape when I return in six months' time." One City analyst said: "The chances are Martin will get bored quite quickly in my view. But then again, he might discover a taste for travel and doing much less. "And this could be part of a plan that involves his phased withdrawal from the business in a way that does not shock the City. "If the company does well while he's away, his continued absence isn't going to upset anybody." Martin, who has four children, has spent much of his time touring his pubs talking to staff and customers in the past few years. Senior staff at the Watford Wethercentre headquarters have been left to run the business on a day-to-day basis. But most weeks his duties also mean he is absent from his Cornwall home for much of the time. "It must be a little bit boring just wandering around the pubs all day," said one source. "I should imagine he's ready for a proper break and to spend more time with his family. After all, he can certainly afford it." Panmure analyst Douglas Jack said: "His timing isn't bad. There's a bit of a lull in the licensing changeover while local authorities get their policies in place. He's now opening 35 pubs a year and not the 85 pubs a year he was opening two years ago. So there's no pressure on him in terms of new openings. And he'll be back in time for the interim results." Left minding the shop 1 John Hutson, 38, managing director: Worked for the company for over 12 years, starting as an area manager after he left Allied. Opened JDW's 21st pub, the Elbow Room in Crouch End. Describes himself as team leader, actioning Martin's ideas. Deals with half of new licence applications, visiting all the pubs within a half-mile radius prior to a licence application. 2 Jim Clarke, 43, finance director: Joined the company in March 1998 from Whitbread where he was finance director for David Lloyd Leisure. Better known to analysts than Hutson because he and Martin have tended to take charge of all results presentations. 3 Suzanne Baker, 40, commercial director: The only female director on JDW's board, Baker's key responsibility is for the food offer at the company. Working with Egon Ronay, she has helped drive food sales from £500-a-week per pub in 1994 to £6,000-a week currently. Joined from Grand Met Retailing in April 1992 when the company had 36 pubs.
