James McArthur has been appointed chief financial officer (CFO) at Vue, one of Europe’s leading cinema operators.
After a financial restructuring in the Covid period, Vue is now expected to go public in 2026 as its current shareholders look to sell their stakes.
Vue founder and CEO Tim Richards had himself been filling the role of CFO since the departure of Alison Cornwell last year.
The appointment comes in the week the exhibitor has snapped up two new cinemas in Italy: one in central Milan and and the other at a location yet to be disclosed, but understood also to be in major Italian city.
Vue is also rolling out its new ”EPIC” PLF (Premium Large Format) screens at sites across the UK and Europe with one due to open in Castleford in Yorkshire next week.
“We now have a full team to allow us to continue running at 100 mph. We could not be going faster or investing more than we are,” said Richards. “[McArthur] is an amazing fit because of his international experience, his operational experience and his financial track record…James has got operational experience; he has been a CEO and a CFO. He has been working in every major market in the world and he has taken companies public before.”
McArthur was formerly chief financial and transformation officer at global expedition cruise company HX Expeditions. He also worked in a global role at Gensiscare, one of the largest providers of cancer care in Australia.
Vue International is currently active in eight countries, with 226 sites and 1,978 screens.