Joining Punch some six years ago as managing director of operations, Spencer worked his way up to chief operating officer before taking over as CEO from Clive Chesser in September last year.
Having been in the industry his whole working life, he says leading Punch at such an “exciting time” is fantastic.
“Being given the opportunity to lead Punch is the highlight of my career so far. It’s an amazing business with fantastic people in it who all have a really strong moral compass and want to do the right thing.”
Despite the economic and political headwinds, he’s focused on growing the business: “We’re also extremely fortunate to have supportive owners in the Fortress Investment Group who understand the business and trust our team and want to see Punch grow.”
Spencer started his career in hospitality at Allied Domecq as a graduate trainee with a number of other colleagues across the industry.
He quickly moved into the role of business development manager before building his career across senior roles with Greene King, the Metropolitan Pub Company and Brewhouse & Kitchen.
Reflecting on his time in the industry, Spencer says his range of roles across the sector gave him a “strong base of experience”, which he adds is important for him as a leader.
Challenging times
And that 25-year career has seen him deal with some challenging moments for the sector, not least the 2007 smoking ban and the Covid pandemic: “At the time, the smoking ban felt like it was seismic. But on reflection, it was a positive move for the industry.
“We would be in a very different place as a pub sector without that legislation, although at the time it felt pretty painful. It was fundamental.”
Covid was another landmark moment: “Being part of a leased and tenanted-led organisation through the pandemic was a challenging time. The benefits of the tied partnership shone through did a lot to reset how we interact with our publicans and management partners and the relationships we now enjoy.
“Over the years publican and pubco relationships improved incrementally, but they stepped forward materially during Covid and continue to do so today in light of ongoing economic and political headwinds.”
The pandemic, while a challenging time for Punch and the industry as a whole, marked one of the proudest moments of his career, Spencer adds.
“We were trying to balance the future of both the Punch business alongside all the businesses operated by our publicans and management partners, supporting them financially while looking out for the well-being of our partners and ensuring they were informed and safe.
“It is a challenge to find time to switch off but prioritising the key moments is important.”
“To come through that in better shape than when we went in was a real achievement for the business. I’m really proud of the part I played in that.”
Spencer’s pride in bolstering the business by developing its people shines through and is something else that was especially prevalent for him during the difficult times of the pandemic: “By developing the people around you, you’ll also develop yourself.
“There are always challenges and lessons to learn as you go, but people are the most important thing. When you reflect on what’s gone well in your career, it’s often about the people you’ve worked alongside and have helped develop.”
His own challenges in the top role however are “self-created” and largely come from a strong desire to make things perfect.
“I want everything to be amazing all of the time and it clearly isn’t so I give myself a hard time about that. But I am surrounded by great people who want to do the right thing by the business.
“It makes running the business interesting and exciting rather than challenging; everyone is pointed in the right direction.”
Spencer has also been married for 20 years and has two daughters who he says keep him “firmly grounded”, but balancing family life with a busy work schedule can be tough.
“Home for me is in the south and the business is based in Burton-on-Trent so I am away for a few nights a week and have been doing that for a long time now. I’ve got a pretty understanding family.
“I try to ensure when I am home, I am present and focusing on my family, but that is often difficult because the business we are in runs all day, all night and all weekend. It is a challenge to find time to switch off but prioritising the key moments is important.”
All about service
To help him switch off outside of work, Spencer likes to try and keep fit, which he says also helps him stay focused professionally.
“It’s really important that when I show up, I show up as my best self. Trying to keep myself fit, although it’s often an uphill battle, is really important. If I can exercise, it helps me de-stress, concentrate and be more present.”
One of his hobbies is golf, which he light-heartedly admits he plays badly, and skiing, something he describes as a “real passion” and the only time he can “really switch off”.
Spencer is also an avid rugby fan, although he no longer plays. But the environment he loves most is the pub, although he playfully admits his passion and attention to detail can make him the “worst pub guest”.
“I really love pubs. To spend your career in this sector, you’ve got to really love being in the pub environment.
“Work doesn’t particularly feel like work for me. I’m really happy to allow the lines between work and home to blur because I love what I do.
“It does make me the worst possible pub guest. I’ve always got an eye on what’s happening - I can’t stand poor operational standards. The pub is all about service, people and the connections made, the rest of it is secondary.”
