Meet the judges
Chris Cowls
CEO, Eproductive
Chris is Chief Executive of Eproductive Ltd which provides EPS, the leading People Management System for hotels.
With a background in international hospitality management Chris co-founded Eproductive in 2000 and EPS now supports hundreds of hotels in the UK and elsewhere in Europe. Chris also coordinates 2050.network, the UK foodservice leaders' network, and has been Visiting Professor at the University of Surrey's School of Hospitality & Tourism Management since 2015.
Clinton Campbell
Commercial Director, L&R Hotels
Bio coming soon
Sue Williams MI FIH
Founder, Positive Hospitality
Whatley Manor’s Sustainability Journey began 2019, prompted by the owner’s belief that the business had a responsibility to reduce its negative impact on the environment. Sue, with no previous experience in the field committed to researching the topic and educating herself as much as possible, quickly partnering with accreditation partners, Earcheck.org and studying a Cambridge course on, “Businesses transitioning to Net Zero Emissions”. In 2021 they were awarded Sustainable Business Catey and were the first country house hotel to achieve Silver accreditation with Earthcheck in 2022. Alongside being an operational GM, Sue is fully engaged in the wider hospitality sector and is a well known voice on the subject of sustainability, helping other hoteliers where possible to grow their knowledge of this complex subject.
Tommie Eaton
Director, Clean the World Europe
Bio coming soon
Sally Beck
General Manager, Royal Lancaster London
Bio coming soon
Grace Greensitt
Founder & CEO, Sustainable Hotels
Bio coming soon
Declan Gallagher
Group Management Accountant, Leonardo Hotels UK & Ireland
Declan Gallagher is currently the Group Management Accountant at Leonardo Hotels UK & Ireland. A Hotel & Tourism Management graduate of the University of Ulster and a HOSPA fellow since 2017, his career in hospitality began in 1988 within hotel operations until he transferred to a finance role within the now Leonardo hotels in 1999. He moved up the ranks holding different finance positions both at property and head office level until his appointment to his current role in 2016.
Born in Donegal in the North West of Ireland, he now resides in Whitley Bay in the North East of England. He is the very proud father to two amazing children and enjoys visiting different historical European cities with them.
He is passionate about passing on the knowledge and experience learned over his years in hospitality to the next generation and has collaborated with both the company’s L&D department and with HOSPA’s training partners the Heyward Group in developing programmes for finance and operational hospitality team members.
He has followed the mantra that “we are born to be real, not perfect” throughout his career and sees hospitality as a way of life, not just a job.
Cesco Righetti
CFO, The Arts Club
Bio coming soon
Nicola Trew
Founder and Director, Vroom
With a wealth of experience in the hospitality industry Nicola has worked across a range of hotels from large corporate chains to small independently owned boutique hotels. From 5 star Golf & Spa resorts to city centre budget hotels.
Unlike the traditional Revenue Manager, she is creative and thinks ‘outside of the box’. Nicola focuses on working with the Hotel teams to think more on a global basis, looking for revenue opportunities, on a continual basis, for all departments.
Janel Clark
Programme Director, HOSPA Professional Development
An accomplished Educator who is passionate about the importance of Learning and Development and its commercial impact on people and profits
Following several years working in Revenue Management, Janel has used her extensive practical knowledge to create, develop and deliver numerous training courses, working with some of the world’s leading educational establishments. She has experience across the full spectrum of hotels, from 5-star chain properties to independent boutique hotels, and has helped them embed, achieve and exceed best practice.
A passionate industry expert, and a qualified educator, Janel is involved in creating programmes for both industry and hospitality schools, which introduce improved ways for hotels to make commercial decisions.
Janel believes that one day, Revenue Managers will rule the world!
Andrew Evers
Group Director of IT, Rocco Forte
I began working in tech in 1997 and then in 2008, my tech path crossed with the high-intensity, pressured and prestigious world of hospitality, when my employer took a contact for a London hotel chain. Since then, I moved on and spent the best part of ten years with Red Carnation. In 2014, we fully refurbished the world famous Ashford Castle, transforming it into one of Europe's most beloved resort hotels. Today, I enjoy the role of Group Director of IT for Rocco Forte -famed for luxury boutique leisure hotels across Europe. I've been very lucky in my life to work in the tech space for some of the best loved hotels in the world. The challenge keeps ratcheting up with fierce competition and a confused marketplace. In the years following the covid crisis, and following a decade of perceived tech underinvestment, the entire industry is now host to one of the most aggressive re-teaching programmes of any global industry. Now's the time to own the recovery and wield the change!
Natasha Patel
Sponsor Conf'd, BDO LLP
Bio coming soon
David Nicolson
Vice President Finance - Europe, Jumeirah Group
David currently works for the Jumeirah Group as Vice President of Finance in Europe. He looks after six hotels including three in London, one in Frankfurt , one in Mallorca and another one in Istanbul.
He also oversees the administration of Jumeirah's Global Sales Offices in Europe.
Mark Rupert Read
Director of IT, Firmdale Hotels
Bio coming soon
Shane Doyle
Group IT Manager, Leonardo Hotels UK & Ireland
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William Gibbs
Hotels Director, SRSL
A passionate hotelier with a focus on asset management who believes that the key to delivering amazing guest experience is through constant team development.
Currently Hotel Director with Sir Richard Sutton with ownership/asset management oversight of the Sheraton Grand and the Athenaeum. Launched Sutton Hotel Collection in April 2022 with three iconic hotels with the vision to reignite these historic hotels.
William studied at Shannon College of Hotel Management and University College Galway, before qualifying as an accountant. He started his career at Forte Hotels and worked his way through finance roles in many leading hospitality organisations, including, Le Meridien, Dorchester Hotel, and Stein Hotels. He joined Hamilton Hotel Partners to focus on asset management before moving to private equity with Westmont Hospitality.
William works closely with colleges in terms of promoting hospitality as a career, as well as charities such as Only a Pavement Away and Hospitality Action.
Sarah Duncan
Co-Founder and Director, Sleeping Lion
Sarah Duncan is Co-founder and Director of Expert Advice / Sleeping Lion – a certified BCorp. Her background is in leisure and hospitality, and she now specialises in Sustainability (or ESG), having written two books on the subject: The Sustainable Business Book (2023) and The Ethical Business Book (2019).
She advises on how to make sustainability a genuine part of your business culture and day-to-day practice, not just a tick-box exercise (or race to be the ‘least bad’).
Alex Slors
Founder, Alex Slors Consultancy
Alex has worked in the hotel industry all his life and has over 35 years of hands-on experience. Practical knowledge of hotel operations as well as corporate environments within prestigious international companies and a wide range of investors define the balanced approach he has to business challenges we are facing today.
Having worked his way up through the ranks in hotels in Europe and Asia, followed by regional roles leading up to Vice President of Finance, Alex has in depth knowledge and practical experience that is invaluable for any hotel owner or investor.
Since 2006 Alex is an independent consultant assisting Owners, Investors and Hotel Companies in maximising the opportunities of hotel projects all over the world. He has worked with all major brands as well as a wide range of investors, private equity firms and developers. The consultancy focusses on asset management, development support, project management and ad-hoc financial control.
Next to on-line tutoring for HOSPA, Alex has been a guest lecturer at institutions such as Glion, EHL and ESSEC.
Alex is based in London but works world-wide.
Liz Callaghan
Director of Revenue, Cheval Collection
Bio coming soon
Hannah Scarbrough
Head of Marketing and Business Development, Audit and Assurance, BDO
Hannah is the Head of Marketing and Business Development for BDO LLP’s Audit and Assurance practice where she is responsible for the national marketing and communications strategy. BDO LLP is a leading accountant and advisor to the hospitality sector and Hannah spent a number of years in BDO’s Leisure and Hospitality team, working with a range of well-known hotel brands and industry suppliers.
Adrienne Hanna
CEO, Right Revenue
Adrienne is the Founder & CEO of Right Revenue and an all-round revenue nerd! With a lifetime career in travel and hospitality, Adrienne has spent the last 20+ years in the amazing world of revenue management.
With a background in Revenue Management consultancy, Adrienne saw a problem in an industry she was passionate about, hence Right Revenue was born. Designing and developing a revenue software solution that takes the myth out of Revenue Management, Right Revenue’s goal is to partner with independent hotels providing a software solution that gives great rate recommendations, accurate forecasting and bespoke reporting – all with the goal of not only adding profitability to the bottom line but also supporting a revenue culture through your whole business.
Fergus Boyd
CTO, IP Dividual
Dr Fergus Boyd, CTO, IP Dividual.com. In top 100 of the “CIO 100” awards three times. IT and Digital Director/VP and consultant for blue chip and innovative brands including British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, Yotel Hotels, Red Carnation Hotels, Village Hotels and Soho House Membership Group. Achieved numerous awards in IT, website design, digital marketing and mobile app for several of these brands. Also, a trustee / NED / investor of several charities and start-up companies such as The Royal Institution (oldest UK science charity) and Linnean Society (biological diversity charity). Fellow of HOSPA and Council Member of HFTP (Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals). I now run my own hospitality consultancy specialising in digital transformation, business strategy and technology stack reviews.
Jodie Wright
Commercial Director, Crerar Hotels
Bio coming soon
David Pryde
Director of IT - Europe, Millenium Hotels and Resorts
David has worked for over 30 years within the Hospitality industry both internationally and within the UK, of which almost 25 years within the Hospitality IT Sector.
His experience has encompassed most of the industry, from large international hotel groups such as IHG, management companies such as Bespoke Hotels through to luxury boutique hotels such as Red Carnation Hotel Collection. Now the Head of IT at the 785 room Strand Palace hotel, David says it is the industry’s vitality and desire to keep changing and trying to exceed its guest’s expectations that keep him excited. It is this constant change that sets the challenge for the IT Community to seek greater engagement between the Business and IT, and to share “best practice and innovation” throughout the industry as a key driver for his tenure as Chair of the HOSPA IT Committee.
Thomas Finn
Managing Director, Edwards & Finn
Bio coming soon