News in brief: Ex-head of Reckitt takes coffee chair, Unite in Wembley student venture, South Pacific move for HP’s chief in UK

Bart Becht, former chief executive of Reckitt Benckiser who was once paid £90 million in one year, is becoming chairman of DE Masterblenders, the world’s third-biggest coffee producer.

This follows its €7.5 billion (£6.3 billion) takeover by the private equity arm of the Benckiser family, which was declared successful today. Masterblenders is bringing in former Mars European boss Pierre Laubies as its new chief executive.

Unite in Wembley student venture

Student accommodation group Unite is set to build a 700-room block at Wembley Park.

It acquired the one-acre site for up to £7.4 million from Schroders property arm, conditional on it winning planning permission, and said it will spend up to £47 million on the project. With 10,000 square feet of retail space on the ground floor, the scheme is expected to open in 2016.

South Pacific move for HP’s chief in UK

Hewlett-Packard’s UK boss Nick Wilson is heading off to sunnier climes.

He and his family are moving to Sydney, Australia, from where he will run the IT giant’s South Pacific operations and become head of its enterprise services division. Under his four-year watch, HP in the UK has retained its number one market position, where it remains the biggest supplier of IT to the Government.