Group development director David Holland is set to retire and will leave at the end of April while group commercial director Bob Caley will leave at the end of the month. Group purchasing director Chris Barker will assume Caley's responsibilities.

In a statement Hibbert said: With the new structure in Spain, Chris and I have decided that it is the right time for him to move to start a new challenge. Chris other responsibilities, particularly for Polestar Hungary and with the BPIF, will be picked up by other board members.

Last October Pavlosky was named as chairman of the Polestar / Grupo Prisa joint venture in Spain and is also vice president of the BPIFs board of directors.

He joined the group in February 2000 from the brewing industry and was widely tipped to become chief executive following the departures of Tony Rudston and Jim Brown. He was believed to be on a renumeration package of around 700,000 a year. Instead, Barry Hibbert was given the job in July 2001.

The board of Polestar would like to take this opportunity to express its gratitude for the excellent work Chris, David and Bob have done for the group and wish them every success in the future, said Hibbert.

See earlier story here