Sovereign Capital-backed LM Funerals, one of the UK’s largest independent funeral services companies, has appointed Deborah Kemp as its new chief executive.
Kemp was previously chief operating officer of De Vere Hotels & Resorts, where she held executive responsibility for all aspects of financial and operational delivery across the company’s 13 sites, including the prestigious Grand Hotel Brighton and Cameron House Loch Lomond.
Prior to this Kemp spent over 20 years in pub retailing, most recently as managing director of Punch Taverns, where she was responsible for the company’s estate of 7,500 leased public houses.
Wolverhampton-based LM Funerals was acquired by UK buy and build specialist Sovereign Capital in 2003. Since then the funeral services company has increased the number of sites it operates from 29 in 2003 to 64 across southern England and the Midlands today, through both opening satellite branches and acquisitions. This year alone it has completed four acquisitions and opened nine new satellite branches.
Stephen Lambert, chairman of LM Funerals, says: “Deborah has significant experience of managing multi-site operations and ensuring a first-rate consumer experience is delivered across those sites, which is exactly what LM Funerals prides itself on. We are delighted Deborah is on board and look forward to her leading the company to achieve further growth.”
