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 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.
Under Nicholl’s leadership, the organisation had been “transformed… into a formidable force for the good for the sector, most notably during the worst crisis the industry has ever faced – Covid,” Cassidy noted. “Having both a dedicated, full-time Chair and a CEO in place, UKHospitality can become even bigger and better, and go further, faster.”
New chapter
Nicholls called it a “new chapter” that reflected the impact, status and ambition of UKHospitality, “which continues to be the vital voice for our broad and important sector”.
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The new structure follows a period of growth and the emergence of UKHospitality team as “the go-to voice for the broad hospitality sector by government and the media alike”, it said.
“We have established strong and effective influence for the country’s fourth largest economic sector and have a seat at the highest table alongside other core business groups on the macro-economic issues of today,” Nicholls continued. “Together we will work alongside Government on some of the most pressing developmental policies for this country and its key industries.”
She noted that it ensuring the government continues to listen to calls for sector support, following the £3.4bn of costs that hit it in April, was “top of my list”, along with root and branch reform of the business rates system, and as building “longer-term momentum for the compelling rationale for creating a dedicated VAT rate for hospitality”.
Simpson added he was excited to step up to CEO role and continue Nicholl’s momentum.
“My focus will be to drive growth, services and a platform for success, for – and with – our members. The economic context is shifting fast, and as a sector we need to take greater control of our own destiny,” he said.
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.
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