Hollywood Bowl has announced that its chief financial officer (CFO), Laurence Keen, is set to be appointed as chief executive officer (CEO) for its Canada division.

Keen informed the board at the entertainment firm of his intention to undertake an operational role and as a result, will step down from the CFO position after 12 years.

As part of the newly created Canadian CEO role, he will look to accelerate the group’s growth strategy and support the development of the existing management team in Canada. The role will be for an initial fixed term to the end of October 2026.

In line with Keen’s move, Antony Smith will join Hollywood Bowl as CFO from 2 February.

Smith will join from River Island where he has served as CFO. He also spent five years at the UK’s second largest ten pin bowling operator, Ten Entertainment Group, and as divisional finance director at Wickes.

Keen will move to his new role based in Canada following the effective transition of his responsibilities to Smith.

CEO at Hollywood Bowl, Stephen Burns, said: "I'd like to thank Laurence for the immense contribution he has made during his 12-year tenure as CFO. He has played a major role in shaping Hollywood Bowl's strategy and the 70% growth of the group estate since our IPO in 2016. I am looking forward to continuing to work closely with him on the group's growth strategy in our Canadian business.

“Following a thorough selection process, I am delighted to welcome Antony to Hollywood Bowl Group. He will complement our strong leadership team, and I look forward to him joining the board in February 2026. He brings a wealth of highly relevant sector and market experience and a proven track record in leading finance teams and managing capital programmes, which will support the delivery of our growth strategy."

---