Vue, Europe’s largest cinema operator, will on Friday announce the appointment of a brand new finance chief as its house owners pave the way in which for a strategic evaluation which might result in a inventory market flotation.
Sky Information has learnt that James McArthur, the previous chief monetary and transformation officer at HK Expeditions, the worldwide expedition cruise firm, will be part of the manager management group at Vue.
His arrival will come because the shareholders who took management of the chain in a post-pandemic monetary restructuring put together to discover choices for the enterprise within the subsequent 12 months.
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Whereas no choices have been taken or a proper course of initiated, banking sources consider Vue is prone to study alternatives for a sale or inventory market itemizing in 2026.
The enterprise was beforehand owned by the Alberta Funding Administration Company (AIMCo) and Omers, two Canadian pension funds.
Mr McArthur will work alongside Tim Richards, Vue’s founder and chief government.
The group now operates from greater than 220 websites in eight international locations, with near 2,000 screens.
It’s a main participant within the UK< the place it has benefited from the disaster which noticed Cineworld plunged into insolvency proceedings.
Vue has launched a premium large-format expertise referred to as EPIC, which options new imaginative and prescient and sound applied sciences and is designed to distinguish the corporate from rivals, which additionally embody Odeon.
In an announcement issued to Sky Information, Mr Richards stated: “With our increasing property, rising slate and fast-paced programme of investments and improvements, [Mr McArthur’s] expertise and experience come on the good time.”
Vue declined to touch upon the potential for a inventory market itemizing or different type of transaction.