
Sir Robin Budenberg CBE
Chair, Independent Non-Executive Board Member and First Commissioner
Find out moreabout Sir Robin Budenberg CBEBoard
Independent Non-Executive Board Member and Senior Independent Board Member
Experience
Dame Karen Jones is a successful entrepreneur and non-executive Director, with wide-ranging experience in the food, retail and leisure markets together with online and property businesses. In addition to her current roles listed below, Karen co-founded Cafe Rouge and the Pelican Group plc (sold to Whitbread in 1996) and was one of the founding group of Punch and Spirit, acting as CEO of Punch Retail/Spirit Group from 2000 to 2006: Spirit Group was sold to Punch Pubs in January 2006.
Karen subsequently founded Food and Fuel Ltd which was sold to The Restaurant Group in 2018.
Karen has held non-executive roles at ASOS plc, Virgin Active and Booker Group plc where she was Senior Independent Director. Between 2008 - 2017, she was a non-executive director for the global retail, real estate and investment company, COFRA Group, whose subsidiaries include Redeveco and the international retailer, C&A, and where she remains an advisor on the family side. Karen also served on the Board of Firmenich ag between 2011 – 2023.
External appointments
Karen is currently Senior non-executive director of both Deliveroo Plc and The Crown Estate. She is also non-executive director at Whitbread Plc and Mowgli. Karen is Chair of Hawksmoor Restaurant Group and Frontier Pubs. Karen is also Chair of the Board of National Theatre Enterprises Ltd and co-Chairs the Hospitality Sector Council together with the Minister for Hospitality.
Key strengths
Food, retail and leisure markets
Digital and online retail
Property and placemaking
Brands and customers
Our Board has the balance of skills and backgrounds that are key to The Crown Estate's business and strategy.
Chair, Independent Non-Executive Board Member and First Commissioner
Find out moreabout Sir Robin Budenberg CBEIndependent Non-Executive Board Member and Senior Independent Board Member
Find out moreabout Dame Karen Jones DBEChief Executive, Executive Board Member and Second Commissioner
Find out moreabout Dan Labbad