Gail’s MD and operations director depart as new senior hires named

Nick Ayerst and Edyta Stec have left their managing director and director of operations positions, respectively, at Gail’s.

The departures come at a time when the bakery chain has announced a trio of leadership appointments, including new chief operations officer, property director, and head of acquisitions.

Former Comptoir Group CEO Ayerst joined Gail’s as MD in March 2025. In a LinkedIn post, he expressed a “huge thank you” to his team for an “unforgettable 18 months” at Gail’s.

His listed achievements during his tenure included senior hires, restructures, more than 35 new bakeries “including the gorgeous Marylebone High St”, coffee launches, delivery partner deals, and farm shops, as well as “leading the brilliant teams across 200+ bakeries, coffee, food, property and operations”.

Ayerst said he was now “on to the next adventure, bringing brilliant hospitality, outstanding brand experiences and great food & drink to people”.

Stec previously held manager roles at Wagamama and PizzaExpress before taking up the director of operations job at Gail’s in March 2021. Her LinkedIn post revealed she was moving on to explore new opportunities after “five remarkable years” with the bakery chain, where she said it had been a privilege to lead Operations, Bakeries, Internal Communications and New Bakery Openings teams.

“Together, we tripled the number of bakeries from 65 to more than 195, launched new formats including railway stations, airports and shopping malls, established three regions, and developed the Operations team from 6 to 30,” she wrote.

“Most importantly, our Breadhead community grew from 800 to 3,000, built on a deep commitment to people, a belief in development and a growth mindset.”

A Gail’s spokesperson confirmed Ayerst and Stec had left the business, whilst noting it had recently welcomed three new senior appointments to support the brand’s continued growth.

These include a new COO in Stephen Clark, who was most recently COO at restaurant chain Tortilla following stints as operations director at Young & Co Brewery and Costa.

Meanwhile, Keith Janes has been named Gail’s new property director – a position he’d occupied for seven years at The Restaurant Group – and Axel Bret as head of acquisitions. 

The spokesperson added that Tom Molnar continues to lead Gail’s as CEO, “shaping the long-term strategy and direction of the business”.

In June, Gail’s appointed Harry Goss to the newly created role of international MD to help grow the brand overseas.