Board of Trustees
The Board consists of eight experienced executives from the hospitality, leisure, travel and tourism sector - delivering a balance of entrepreneurial, operational, marketing. financial, legal and people management skills.
The Board is responsible for overseeing the overall performance of the business and ensuring that the Charity's governance is of the highest possible standard.
Key aspects of the Board's role are:-
- To set the overall strategic direction for the company (in consultation with the Members);
- To take responsibility for the governance of the SSC;
- To ensure the Company complies with its statutory obligations;
- To advise and oversee the Executive team, including limits to its authority.
The Board of Trustees meet at least four times a year.
Trustees:-
| Mike Burton | Don Davenport (Chair) | David Fairhurst (Vice Chair) | Nick Howe |
| Stephen Moss | Charles Prew | Robert Roger | Nick Varney |
Executive Director, Human Resources, Compass Group UK & Irleand
Mike has worked in human resources for over twenty five years, spending five years as Personnel Manager at Peugeot Motor Company before joining Grand Metropolitan in 1984 as Personnel Director, then Compensation Director. In 1989, he joined ISL as a Business Psychologist, before moving to The Burton Group in 1992 and then Argos Stores in 1998 as Personnel Director.
Mike joined Compass Group in 1999 as Human Resources Director, and his role changed to Executive Director, Human Resources, in 2005.
Compass Group UK & Ireland is one of the leading employers in the hospitality industry. The responsibilities of Mike's department include the training and development of over 100,000 employees, as well as recruitment and retention, compensation and benefits.
DON DAVENPORT (Chairman)
After A levels, Don Davenport attended a 3-year course at a catering college, obtaining the industry's professional qualification (Member of the Hotel & Catering Industrial Management Association). Following this, Don had three years' experience as a chef and then went ton to do a two year Executive Training Management course with Trust Houses. he transferred to Trust Houses Contract Catering Division, Gardner Merchant as an Area Manager, and then advanced to Regional Director.
In 1979, after 18 years with Trust House Forte Don joined Sutcliffe Catering as managing Director, Sutcliffe South and in 1990 he became Group Managing Director.
Following Granada's acquisition of the P & O Services Group in 1993 Don became Chief Executive to the then newly created Granada Services for Business Division but still retained the day to day running of Sutcliffe Catering Group. In 1996 he became Group Managing Director for Granada Hospitality, and in February 1997 was appointed Group Managing Director of Granada Restaurants and Services.Don was responsible for Granada Food Services, Little Chef and Travelodge and Granada Road Services with a turnover of £1.9bn .
Until his retirement in September 2006, he held the role of CEO at the Compass Group in the UK and Ireland, with a turnover of £3 billion and employing over 110,000 people. Compass group is part of Compass PLC, the worlds leading foodservice and hospitality organisation, which has an annual turnover of over £10 billion, and operates in 90 countries.
Don is also Non-Executive Chair of Tippens Consultancy, Non-Executive Director of Harrison Catering and he currently sits on the Finance Committee of MCC.
DAVID FAIRHURST (Vice Chairman)
Vice President of People, McDonald's Restaurant's Ltd.
At McDonald's (whose 67,000 staff serve more than 2 million people in the UK every day) David is responsible for training, customer service and human resources teams and has been faced with the challenge of dispelling the "McJob" image to promote valuable careers within the organisation. Previously, he has worked for Tesco, Heinz, and what was SmithKlineBeecham.
On joining People 1st, David said: “I was delighted to be asked to join the People 1st council of members. We consider People 1st to be one of our key external stakeholders and believe that with London 2012 rapidly approaching, there has never been a greater opportunity for the leisure, hospitality and tourism industries to demonstrate their value.”
Joint Managing Director, Holroyd Howe
Nick started his career in the hospitality industry as a waiter in a five star Cambridge hotel, before working as a food and beverage manager for Anchor Hotels.
He joined Sutcliffe Catering in 1984, where he initially managed prestige units such as Burmah Oil and Sir William Halcrow. Nick then took two area manager jobs at Sutcliffe – firstly looking after its Ministry of Defence business in the South East and Thames Valley area, then handling its core City, London and Docklands businesses.
In 1989, he left Sutcliffe to become operations director at Baxter & Platts where he was responsible for 65 blue-chip companies. He boosted turnover from £500,000 to £30m before leaving in 1997 (when Granada Food Services bought the group) to set up his catering business with Rick Holroyd, who he met during his time at Sutcliffe.
Although they founded Holroyd Howe just nine years ago, they now have nearly 1000 staff across 95 sites, and have been named one of the Sunday Times' 100 Best Companies to Work For.
Managing Director, BCP Limited
Stephen is Managing Director of BCP, the UK's market leader in airport parking and travel services, and Chairman of his family's property investment company.
Stephen has been involved in the tourism and hospitality industry for over 20 years, as proprietor of Drakes English Restaurant in Chelsea and then as Director of 190 Queens Gate with Antony Worrall Thompson and Roy Akerman.
Stephen has been active in the affairs of the Restaurant Association for many years and remains one of its Vice presidents. He has a particular interest in promoting careers and training and is currently Chairman of Springboard, a Charity that he established in order to promote careers in hospitality, tourism and leisure.
He qualified as a barrister and has an MBA from the London Business School.
CHARLES PREWChief Executive, Dawnay Shore Hotels (Paramount Hotels)
Charles is a senior hotels executive with extensive experience of the sector. He began his career at Grand Metropolitan Hotels where he rose to be operations director of its County Hotels division.
He joined Ladbroke Hotels/Hilton Group plc in 1983 as operations director and became Deputy Managing Director of Hilton UK before being appointed Chairman of Hilton Hotels (Australia), Vice President of Hilton International and Vice President Sales & Marketing Hilton International (Asia Pacific, Australia). In 1992 he joined Jarvis Hotels to establish its hotel management contracting division and was appointed to the Board in 1995, subsequently establishing its hospitality management division. In 2003 he joined Hanover International as operations and sales and marketing director and subsequently became Managing Director.
Charles became chief executive of Paramount Hotels in July 2004 when Dawnay Shore Hotels acquired the 13 strong Paramount chain of four star hotels. He joined the board of Dawnay Shore Hotels on 1st August 2005.
Chairman and Chief Executive, Merlin Entertainments Group
Nick began his career in consumer goods marketing before moving into visitor attractions in 1991 as Marketing Director of Tussauds owned Alton Towers.
During his 3 years at the park Nick transformed its marketing and contributed to three record seasons in succession. Subsequently promoted to Group Marketing role in the Tussauds Group he oversaw the launch of Port Aventura in Spain and set new strategies for the Madame Tussauds business in London and Amsterdam. He joined Vardon Attractions in 1995 as Managing Director and oversaw the development of the Dungeon brand and the company's move into the German market.
In December 1998 Nick and the senior management team completed the successful buyout of Vardon Attractions to form Merlin Entertainments Group Ltd, and they acquired Legoland Parks in 2005. In March 2007, they joined forces with the Tussauds Group, creating the world's second largest visitor attractions operator after Disney.
Merlin Entertainments are committed to providing its workforce with equal opportunities in all areas – recruitment, promotion, development and benefits – working as one team supporting and trusting one another and recognising and respecting individual contributions. The company's aim being to ensure all staff “enjoy work, celebrate success and learn from experience”.
