UKHospitality switches up its top team to ‘turbocharge’ growth
UKHospitality has announced some changes to the structure of its top team in order to boost its strategy following significant growth and “enable it to go further, faster”. The post UKHospitality switches up its top team to ‘turbocharge’ growth appeared first on The Drinks Business.
UKHospitality has announced some changes to the structure of its top team in order to boost its strategy following significant growth and “enable it to go further, faster”.
The changes will see current CEO Kate Nicholls OBE promoted to the organisation’s first paid and full-time Chair, with her current deputy, Allen Simpson, becoming CEO.
Nicholl’s promotion will allow her more time to champion the sector in both the political and media landscapes, as well as deepening engagement with the government and its understanding of the sector and its challenges. This reflects the increased size and scope of the organisation overall, as well as Nicholl’s role as a leading voice with successive governments.
As a result, the day-to-day leadership of UKHospitality will pass to Allen Simpson, who joined the organisation 18 months ago from London & Partners, the Mayor of London’s tourism, inward investment and city marketing agency. He has valuable experience across the tourism and leisure industry over his career, as well as expertise in global investment and economic policy and has spent the last 18 months as deputy CEO of UKHospitality, leading projects to highlight the sector’s worth to people and communities across the UK.
Non-executive chairman Steve Cassidy will also move across the table to become President, enabling Nicholls and Simpson to deliver a new, "bolder strategy" for the organisation which will be revealed over the coming months, in order to deliver a bolder vision for members and the wider sector.
According to the organisation, the new structure follows “an extraordinary period of growth”, at a time when “the UKHospitality team [has] became widely-recognised as the go-to voice for the broad hospitality sector by government and the media alike”.
As well as delivering policy change, the organisation is looking to growing its operational capacity particularly in skills and training. This has already seen it launch the Sector-based Work Academy Programmes (SWAPS) scheme, working with the government to train new starters in the sector, in 26 regions.
The changes will see current CEO Kate Nicholls OBE promoted to the organisation’s first paid and full-time Chair, with her current deputy, Allen Simpson, becoming CEO.
Nicholl’s promotion will allow her more time to champion the sector in both the political and media landscapes, as well as deepening engagement with the government and its understanding of the sector and its challenges. This reflects the increased size and scope of the organisation overall, as well as Nicholl’s role as a leading voice with successive governments.
As a result, the day-to-day leadership of UKHospitality will pass to Allen Simpson, who joined the organisation 18 months ago from London & Partners, the Mayor of London’s tourism, inward investment and city marketing agency. He has valuable experience across the tourism and leisure industry over his career, as well as expertise in global investment and economic policy and has spent the last 18 months as deputy CEO of UKHospitality, leading projects to highlight the sector’s worth to people and communities across the UK.
Non-executive chairman Steve Cassidy will also move across the table to become President, enabling Nicholls and Simpson to deliver a new, "bolder strategy" for the organisation which will be revealed over the coming months, in order to deliver a bolder vision for members and the wider sector.
According to the organisation, the new structure follows “an extraordinary period of growth”, at a time when “the UKHospitality team [has] became widely-recognised as the go-to voice for the broad hospitality sector by government and the media alike”.
As well as delivering policy change, the organisation is looking to growing its operational capacity particularly in skills and training. This has already seen it launch the Sector-based Work Academy Programmes (SWAPS) scheme, working with the government to train new starters in the sector, in 26 regions. 
