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Julio describes the move as ‘a huge and important opportunity’ LEON founder calls the appointment ‘pivotal’.

LEON, the original fast food disrupter, today announced the appointment of Julio Santoyo as Managing Director of Restaurants – marking a significant milestone in writing the next chapter of the brand.

Julio joins from Pret A Manger, bringing 20+ years of experience in one of the most respected food operators in the UK. Starting as a team member after arriving from Spain, he rose through the ranks to become UK Operations Director, overseeing a £700M business across 360 sites and 6,000 team members.

Julio said that, “LEON has an important purpose, and it’s one that I completely share. John and I are committed to making it easier to eat and live well. I love food, and I am very curious about what makes people feel and be well. John and I share a lot of values, and at the same time, we bring different skills. I am very happy to be joining John and the brilliant team he is building.”

LEON founder and CEO John Vincent called the appointment “a pivotal moment for the company”. “We have long had a spirit of innovation and disruption. We now need to be superb at operations. I would like to make LEON as big as it can be without losing its customer intimacy. This is the challenge Julio and I have set ourselves – for every guest to experience LEON at its best, and to grow as big as we can whilst maintaining soul.”

Since launching in 2004, LEON has built a reputation for challenging the status quo – from rethinking fast food to inspiring a generation of better eating. Following John Vincent’s return to the business, at the end of last year, his focus has been to rebuild the company on the foundations of strong operational discipline.

The appointment of Julio Santoyo follows a deliberate strategy to build LEON’s “A-team”, including the recent return of CFO Chris Burford, Restaurant Operations Director Nick Scovell and the strengthening of the senior leadership bench.