Soho House founder steps down from hospitality empire

Nick Jones, CEO of private members' club and hotel empire Soho House, has announced he will be stepping down from his role following successful cancer treatment, drawing a close to his 27-year stint in the business.

Jones, 59, announced plans on Wednesday to transition from his CEO position back to his original role as founder, where he will retain a 10% shareholding in the business. In his time with the brand, the hospitality mogul developed Soho House from a single private members' club in central London to a global collective of 38 'houses', spas, co-working facilities and luxury hotels, with 211,000 members worldwide. 

Last year, the group became a publicly listed company known as Membership Collective Group (MCG), a rebrand forming part of its £2bn flotation on the New York Stock exchange. 

The announcement follows the businessman's successful recovery from prostate cancer, prompted by discussions with executive chairman Ron Burkle regarding succession planning. Andrew Carnie, the company's current president, will take the helm as CEO. Carnie has been with the company for six years, with Jones telling Page Six it was "always the intention" for him to take on the role. 

Carnie told Page Six of the company's three-year ambition to open between five to seven new houses annually, with plans for Mexico City, Bangkok and Manchester in the pipeline. "I'm excited about us growing across North America and Latin America as well as South Asia and Northern Europe," said the former Anthropologie president. 

Despite this, however, MCG – which announced the news on Wednesday – says the move will inevitably slow the pace of new openings. 

Jones comments on the announcement: "I am so proud of what we have achieved and grateful to all the teams who have helped us get to where we are today. With an experienced and talented leadership team in place, it's the right time for me to step down as chief executive and spend more time doing what I love: designing new houses, creating a fantastic membership experience and motivating our people."

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