During her tenure at the pizza chain, Bowley has served as customer experience director, operations director and UK chief operating officer.
She served as managing director under various CEOs including David Campbell and Richard Hodgson and more latterly Paula Mackenzie.
“After 12 years, Zoe has decided this is the right time to leave PizzaExpress and, following a well-deserved break, pursue her next chapter," says Paula MacKenzie, CEO of PizzaExpress. "During her time Zoe has led the business through monumental change – most notably the pandemic, always championing the operations team. Zoe leaves with our best wishes and thanks from the entire PizzaExpress team.”
“I’m incredibly proud of my time at PizzaExpress and over the past 12 years, it has been a true privilege to see the brand and so many people in the organisation grow," says Bowley. "This is a brilliant brand and omnichannel business and I look forward to seeing it go from strength-to-strength.”
Bowley made one of her last public speaking appearances as PizzaExpress managing director late last year at The Omnichannel Foodservice Conference, where she discussed the restaurant's group's continued push into omnichannel, including having a greater retail presence, its increased delivery options, and the continued development of its app.
Her replacement is yet to be announced.
Earlier this week PizzaExpress appointed Grant Shaw as its new commercial finance director.
Shaw was previously at Côte Restaurants, where he has been head of commercial finance since June 2021, and before that held several commercial finance roles at KFC UK & Ireland, including senior commercial finance manager.