LONDON (Reuters) - Compass Group (>> Compass Group plc), the world's biggest caterer, named outgoing Diageo (>> Diageo plc) chief executive Paul Walsh as its new Chairman on Thursday, to help drive the firm's overseas expansion.

Walsh, who will be replaced at Diageo by Ivan Menezes on July 1 after some 13 years with the drinks group, will join Compass as a non-executive director next January and will become chairman on February 6.

Walsh will replace Roy Gardner, who is retiring.

Compass operates in some 50 countries and serves 4 billion meals a year at locations ranging from schools and hospitals to offshore rigs and the Wimbledon tennis tournament.

The group is targeting growth in its core North American business and in emerging markets, and said Walsh's experience in international expansion would benefit the firm in its aims.

In May Compass posted an 8 percent rise in first half underlying pretax profit to 611 million pounds and said it was upbeat on its prospects for the full-year.

(Reporting by Neil Maidment, Editing by Christine Murray)

Stocks treated in this article : Diageo plc, Compass Group plc