Whitbread, the owner of the Premier Inn hotel chain, has confirmed the current boss of Domino’s Pizza will replace Alison Brittain as its chief executive next year. The hospitality company, which also owns Beefeater and Brewers Fayre, said Dominic Paul would take over from Brittain – one of the few female FTSE 100 CEOs – at the start of the next financial year in March 2023. Paul led Domino’s Pizza Group throughout the Covid crisis, having joined the business after leading Costa Coffee during its ownership by Whitbread before the cafe chain was sold to Coca-Cola in 2018. He said: “I am delighted to have been selected to return and lead Whitbread, a business with a fantastic heritage and an exciting future both in the UK and internationally.” Paul added that he would continue to work with Domino’s over the next six months to ensure a smooth transition. Shares in Whitbread fell slightly, by 1.63% to 2,601p, immediately after the announcement on Wednesday. Brittain, who will leave the business after eight years in charge, said “it has been an enormous pleasure” to serve in the role. The departing chief was one of the FTSE’s most prominent female leaders during her time at the helm of Whitbread. She said: “It has been an enormous privilege to lead Whitbread during a period of significant expansion for our well-loved brands, in both the UK and in Germany. “I will continue to be fully committed to the business over the next few months until it’s time to hand over the baton, and I wish Dominic and the whole Whitbread team every success for the future.” Earlier in June, the hospitality company cautioned its annual costs would rise by up to £30m as it increased pay to attract workers in a tough recruitment market.