Speakers & Presenters
Peter Hancock, Conference & Awards Host
Peter Hancock is a professional conference and awards host, after-dinner speaker and toastmaster. He recently retired after 21 years as Chief Executive at Pride of Britain Hotels, was previously Group Publishing Director of Johansens and was a hotel GM in his early career. Peter is currently an ambassador for James Hallam (insurance), Hospitality Action, The Gold Service Scholarship and the Independent Hotel Show. He is also a Master Innholder, a Fellow of the Institute of Hospitality, a HOSPA Fellow and Chair of the Quality Advisory Board for Visit England and the AA.
Harry Murray MBE, HOSPA President
Distinguished Hotelier Harry Murray MBE was elected President of HOSPA IN 2018 as it entered a key period of attracting British talent into the hospitality industry. His election was based on his prominence in the industry, his reputation and previous involvement with HOSPA. Harry has managed luxury hotel across five decades and has been recognised with numerous awards for his tireless efforts to raise standards of excellence. His awards include an MBE for services to the hospitality industry, Hotelier of the Year, Catey Lifetime Achievement Award, AA Lifetime Achievement Award and an Honorary Doctorate of the University of Essex.
Chris Cowls MBE, HOSPA Chair
Chris initially worked for several hospitality companies including UB, Compass, Burger King and Forte. He then established a restaurant business, Sunnyside Up, before going on to co-found Eproductive Ltd in 2000. The company provides EPS, the People Management System used by hundreds of hotels. Chris also co-founded 2050, the network for UK foodservice leaders. In 2015 Chris was appointed Visiting Professor in Hospitality & Tourism at Surrey University. For many years he was a volunteer NED at St Martin-in-the-Fields and was appointed MBE in the 2019 New Year's Honours list. Chris became a HOSPA Director in 2020 and Chair in 2025.
Jane Pendlebury, CEO, HOSPA
Jane Pendlebury is CEO of HOSPA. Initially, Jane was a HOSPA member and sponsor. Then, after volunteering her time assisting with HOSPACE, she was taken on to run the Membership and Events office before being promoted to CEO in 2016. Kickstarting her career with a degree in hotel management, Jane worked with both chain and independent hotels. Thereafter, she spent many years assisting hotels and restaurants with their technology decisions around Property Management, Point of Sale and Revenue Management. This culminated into a role as VP and General Manager covering Europe for a global hospitality software house
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Thomas Pugh, Chief Economist, RSM UK
Thomas Pugh is a UK economist with a wealth of experience in analysing the key economic events in the UK and around the world. He provides insightful and accessible commentary on how these events affect businesses in the real economy in the UK. He works closely with RSM’s global economics team to give a comprehensive overview of the economic issues that middle market business leaders need to be aware of. Thomas is regularly quoted and interviewed by the UK’s financial media and frequently presents his thoughts and insights on the UK economy to businesses and conferences around the country and internationally.
Mark Edwards, Partner, BDO LLP
Mark is a partner in the Consumer Markets sector at BDO and leads the Hospitality & Leisure team. He has extensive experience working with a broad range of clients across the hospitality sector, including family-owned businesses and larger corporate groups. His representative client experience includes The Dorchester Collection, Rocco Forte Hotels, Hoxton Hotels, Hyatt Regency London, The Churchill, Drake & Morgan, Shepherd Neame and Admiral Taverns.
Michael Grove, CEO, HotStats
Michael is CEO of HotStats, now a Duetto company, which provides monthly P&L benchmarking and market insight for the hotel industry. Collecting monthly detailed financial data from hotels worldwide from over 150 brands and independent hotels, HotStats provides over 550 different KPIs covering all operating revenues, payroll, expenses, cost of sales and, ultimately, departmental and total hotel profitability. Before joining HotStats, Michael held multiple operational and financial roles at hotel and corporate levels for over 16 years and is a regular guest lecturer at universities and hotel schools around the world.
Peter Heath, Founder, Venue Performance
Peter is the founder and creator of Venue Performance, the Meetings & Events benchmarking platform for hotels and events venues. Peter has spent nearly 30 years working in the meetings and events industry and has grown Venue Performance to be the only M&E benchmarking platform in the world. Over 400 UK hotels and properties contribute to VP, including major hotel brands, operators and conference venues.
Katie Morton Lee, Head of Hotels, Barclays Corporate Banking
Katie Morton Lee is Head of Hotels at Barclays, and together with the team is responsible for supporting large corporate hotel clients across the UK. She is focussed on driving strategic growth in Barclays’ lending book alongside their wider support for the hotel sector across different banking products, including Barclaycard. Katie has extensive experience in the structuring and execution of debt transactions across the hospitality and leisure sectors. Katie is part of a Hospitality & Leisure focussed team at Barclays, looking after a number of subsectors including pubs, restaurants, professional sport, gaming, travel and competitive socialising.
Alessandra Leoni, Head of Hospitality, Focus on Hospitality, powered by Focus Group
With over 20 years in hospitality, Alessandra leads Focus on Hospitality’s specialist division, helping hotels optimise operations and profitability through technology. Her expertise spans from operations, commercial strategy, digital transformation and guest experience innovation, bridging the gap between IT and business outcomes. Alessandra is an active HOSPA contributor and passionate advocate for a connected, guest-centric future.
Ross Clinch, Head of Proposition, Focus on Hospitality, powered by Focus Group
Ross joined Focus Group in 2024 as Head of Proposition within the Voice & Data Team. With extensive experience in technical sales and channel roles for hospitality-focused voice providers, Ross plays a pivotal role in shaping Focus on Hospitality’s go-to-market strategy. Collaborating closely with Product, Sales, and Marketing teams, he ensures the portfolio delivers exceptional value and impact for the company’s hospitality clientele.
Duncan Osborn, Senior Business Development Manager EMEA, Agilysys
Currently Senior Business Development Manager at Agilysys, Duncan has spent the last 20 years in Hospitality Technology. Prior to that he was on the hotel side for 15 years with companies like Hilton and Marriott. His career has always been centred around ensuring the best experience possible for the guest in our fabulous industry whilst providing the smoothest journey for the hospitality team(s) to ensure that the seamless guest experience and expectations are met through providing the best technology stack to support that whole process.
Scot Turner, Founder, Auden Hospitality
Scot Turner is the founder of Auden Hospitality, an award-winning consultancy helping hotels rethink their food and beverage strategy. A former operator with experience opening over 40 restaurants and managing $175M in annual revenues across 14 countries, Scot has worked with brands including The Dorchester Collection, InterContinental and Alain Ducasse. Through Auden, he partners with hoteliers and developers to create concepts guests remember and systems that drive long-term success. Recognised as Best F&B Consultancy in the 2025 Innovation & Excellence Awards, Auden also operates three restaurants in London to embed their vision of bringing an operator's mindset to F&B projects to offer both creative and operational solutions.
Angus Blest, Head of Commercial UK & Ireland, Adyen
Angus (Gus) runs the Commercial team at Adyen UK & Ireland. Having spent 25 years within the payment Industry and approaching 12 years at Adyen in a number of roles, Gus brings a wealth of experience working with leading Partners and Hospitality businesses. Gus has held leadership roles in Marketing, Partnerships and Sales, so is able to bring this experience and knowledge of Payment and financial technology solutions to help ensure that Hotels can deliver the experiences their customers are looking for. Gus works from Adyen’s London office, living in Berkshire with his family.
Janel Clark, Head of Professional Development, HOSPA
An accomplished Educator who is passionate about the importance of Learning and Development and its commercial impact on people and profits. 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 which introduce improved ways for hotels to make commercial decisions.
Danielle Ravenscroft, M&E Director, Clermont Hotel Group
Danielle is a Meetings & Events revenue specialist with over 20 years in hospitality, currently serving as M&E Director at Clermont Hotel Group. She leads the strategic direction of the M&E function, driving revenue through smart pricing, effective distribution and strong collaboration. Her career spans leadership roles at Drayton Manor, Ramada and Leonardo Hotels, and includes developing group-wide M&E frameworks. She is passionate about data-driven M&E strategy and team development. Based in the Midlands, she enjoys holidays with her partner and bottomless brunches with friends.
Angela Sanders, Head of Conference & Events Sales, Edgbaston Stadium
Angela is Head of Conference and Events Sales at Edgbaston Stadium, where she leads the strategy and delivery of a multimillion-pound events business. With a career in C&E sales since 2008, Angela is passionate about driving revenue growth through data-led decision-making and strategic insight. She also sits on the leadership team of Stadium Experience, supporting Stadia across the UK to better understand and harness their data to unlock commercial potential. Known for her transparent and collaborative approach, Angela is dedicated to elevating the value and visibility of the meetings and events sector within the wider hospitality landscape.
Amy Russell, Assistant Director of Distribution, Park Plaza Hotels
Amy is a very passionate hotelier, traveller and food lover! In her current position at Park Plaza Hotels, as the Assistant Director of Distribution, she is responsible for managing the relationships of all the B2B platforms and relationships across all regions. She works closely with Global companies like Cvent to increase conversion, maintain profiles and drive forward projects that increase enquiry and conversion levels. She is also extremely passionate about the future of Meetings and Events and champions the “Revolution of Instant Bookings” across the industry and within her own company, working closely with associations like the MIA and Venue Directory to provide insight and drive change for the future.
Christine Wassell, Senior Director, Meetings & Events, Radisson Hotel Group
With over 30 years of experience in the hospitality industry and more than 20 years specialising in Meetings & Events, Christine has built a diverse career spanning Event Planning, Revenue Management, M&E Training and Development, covering various regional leadership roles. In her current position as Senior Director of Meetings & Events at Radisson Hotel Group, she leads the M&E Club for Radisson Hotel Group, overseeing enquiry handling and Planning support for more than 65 hotels across 10 European countries. Her passion lies in driving new dimensions and improving ways to increase Conversion and commercial success across her portfolio.
Paul Davidson, Director, Security Consulting, Team 9
Paul served as a Special Advisor (Terrorism) to the UK Government, providing security and crisis management expertise at the ministerial level, including participation in COBRA briefings. He now runs Team 9, who are Howdens specialist risk experts on Martyn's Law and protective security audits and solutions.
Veryan Palmer, Director, The Headland Hotel & Spa
Veryan grew up in the independent hotel world within her family-owned hotel, The Headland, Newquay. She started her career at The Goring, before progressing through senior operations roles at Cliveden House & The University of Oxford. She's a huge believer in the ability of young people and of communities working together to achieve outstanding shared success. Veryan is Chair & Founder of Cornwall Hospitality Collective CIC, Chair of Newquay Business Improvement District and sits on the board of POB Hotels. She is a champion of everything that makes independent hotels the magical and inspirational places they so often are for so many guests and team members.
Sharon Power Cowley, Sales Director, Net Affinity
Sharon is a proud graduate of the Shannon College of Hotel Management. She trained in Switzerland before taking on various management in Ireland and was in a General Manger role prior to joining the team at Net Affinity. Sharon has spent the last 15 years as Sales Director at Net Affinity and has helped grow the company into the market leading booking engine and marketing provider that it now is. She has most recently been instrumental in promoting their new offering of payments and channel manager that have been added to an already compelling suite of products. Her first love is her family, then her alpacas followed closely by the hospitality industry.
Henrietta Wooldridge, Hospitality Strategy Manager, Adyen
Henrietta Wooldridge is based in the Netherlands and leads hospitality product strategy at Adyen. With a deep background of experience in both hotel operations and global technology, she brings a unique perspective on how payments can elevate and shape the guest journey and empower staff. At Adyen, she focuses on designing efficient payment solutions that help hospitality brands deliver exceptional experiences while optimising operations.
Sinead Marron, Director of Growth, Alkimii
Sinead Marron is at the helm of Alkimii’s UK expansion as Director of Growth. Her 15-year journey through the hospitality industry has seen her rise to General Manager roles at prestigious hotels like Radisson Blu and The Great Southern Hotel Killarney. Sinead’s career has been marked by her knack for boosting revenues, delighting guests, and fine-tuning operations. Her expertise spans a broad range of hospitality essentials – from overall hotel management to the nitty-gritty of HR, property operations, and payroll optimisation. She has closely worked with over 400 hotels, helping them manage costs and save hours of administrative time; however, Sinead is not just about the bottom line. She’s a passionate advocate for transforming hospitality into a lifelong career path. Her mantra? Invest in your people. For Sinead, a top-notch employee experience isn’t just nice to have – it’s the cornerstone of a thriving hospitality business. With her wealth of experience and forward-thinking approach, Sinead has become a go-to voice on all things hospitality. Whether she’s tackling operational challenges or championing staff development, her insights are always worth listening to.
Patryk Luszcz, Regional Director, Profitroom
Patryk Luszcz is the Regional Director for the UK at Profitroom, a leading hospitality technology company. With a wealth of experience in hotel marketing and sales, Patryk plays a key role in helping hotels optimise their revenue and guest experience through advanced booking solutions. He has a strong background in digital marketing and hospitality management, enabling him to understand the unique needs of the UK market. Patryk is passionate about driving growth for hotels by implementing innovative technology solutions that enhance efficiency and profitability. His leadership is instrumental in expanding Profitroom’s presence across the region.
Danielle Abreu, Operations, HR & Marketing - Gough Hotels
By the age of 25, Danielle achieved her goal of becoming General Manager of a 4 Red Star boutique hotel, after gaining hands-on experience in sales, reservations, duty management and F&B. Her career then took her through managing a seaside pier while raising four children and earning a Master’s degree, CIPD Level 7 and an Expert DMI certification. Today, she leads sales, marketing and HR for a hospitality group, combining operational insight with a passion for AI’s impact on teams, operations and the evolving future of hospitality.
Neil Braude, Group Operating Officer, Imperial London Hotels
Neil has worked for over 26 years in the hospitality industry, with the last 17 focused on leading operations across London as a Revenue Manager and General Manager for both independent and branded hotels. Today, as the Group Operating Officer for Imperial London Hotels, he is responsible for overseeing nearly 3,500 rooms in the heart of the city, including the Royal National Hotel, Western Europe’s largest hotel with 1,652 rooms, car parks and a commercial laundry. He is deeply committed to delivering excellence for both his guests and teams. He is a proud member of the Institute of Hospitality and is an Innholders Scholar.
Champa Magesh, Managing Director, Access Hospitality
Champa is Managing Director of Access Hospitality, leading with the belief that technology should free hoteliers to focus on guests. With 20+ years in technology, payments and travel, she brings curiosity and respect for hospitality’s operational complexity. At Access Hospitality, she drives the development of Access Evo – a unified, AI-powered platform connecting property management, distribution, guest engagement and back-office operations. The goal: actionable insights that simplify decisions, not add work. Formerly with Trainline, Amadeus, American Express, RBS and Cisco, Champa champions solutions built around how hotels truly operate. She holds an MBA and Master’s in Information Management from Arizona State University.
Laura Sharpe, Director of Operations, Firmdale Hotels
An experienced hospitality professional with a proven record in luxury hotel operations, serving as Director of Operations at Firmdale Hotels since 2022, Laura oversees the boutique properties in London and New York, focusing on excellence in rooms and F&B. Previously General Manager of Ham Yard Hotel for eight years, she led the team from pre-opening to being named Hotel of the Year in 2018, when she also received the Cateys Manager of the Year award. Across her Firmdale career, she has advanced through leadership roles committed to exceptional guest experiences, operational excellence and developing high-performing teams.
Ryan Haynes, Director, Haynes MarComs
Ryan Haynes specialises in strategic consultancy across market engagement, brand development and industry leadership. He helps businesses boost visibility and growth through insight-led, forward-thinking strategies. Formerly in broadcasting with Radio 1 and LBC, Ryan has worked with global PR institutions and with leading tech companies. Since 2020, he has hosted Travel Market Life, a podcast exploring how innovation and technology transform travel, alongside Hoteliers’ Voice, focusing on hotel growth and leadership. He hosts live sessions at leading events including IHTF Europe and the Independent Hotel Show, and is taking his podcast on the road with the Hospitality Roundtable Roadshow.
Andrew Stembridge, Executive Director, Iconic Luxury Hotels
Andrew Stembridge is Executive Director of Iconic Luxury Hotels, a collection of award-winning properties celebrated for individuality and excellence. A graduate of the University of Strathclyde in Hospitality Management and Tourism, he has also completed executive programmes at Cornell and Cranfield. Named the youngest-ever Hotelier of the Year in 2010, Andrew has held senior industry positions including Chairman of the Master Innholders and is a Fellow of the Institute of Hospitality. A committed mentor and active supporter of Hospitality Action and Room to Reward, he continues to champion leadership, culture and guest experience as the collection grows internationally.
Louisa Green, Managing Director, RBH Hospitality Management
Louisa Green is the Managing Director of RBH Hospitality Management and has over 25 years of leadership experience. Louisa has held hotel management roles across the UK, including multiple General Manager and Cluster General Manager positions with IHG Hotels & Resorts. Having originally joined RBH in 2018 as Operations Director, Louisa stepped into the role of Managing Director for RBH in January 2024. She has strong market expertise supporting RBH’s diverse portfolio from full service branded properties to independent hotels and has been instrumental in their expansion, particularly into the upscale and luxury segments.
Guillaume Marly, General Manager, Waldorf Astoria London Admiralty Arch
Guillaume started his experience within Food & Beverage Management at leading hotels including The Dorchester and The Carlton Tower, then developed further into Hotel Management at Claridge’s, The Connaught and The Ritz London. In 2014, Guillaume oversaw the successful launch of Chiltern Firehouse in London as Managing Director. He then joined Hotel Café Royal as Managing Director leading the repositioning of Hotel Café Royal, making it one of the most sought-after Luxury hotels in London. He was appointed as General Manager for Waldorf Astoria London Admiralty Arch in October 2024 and will lead the operations of one of the capital’s most anticipated hotel openings.
Anne Golden, General Manager, Pan Pacific London
In 2019, Anne Golden became General Manager of Pan Pacific London, leading the launch of Pan Pacific Hotels Group’s first UK property. Blending Singaporean hospitality with contemporary London design, the hotel has earned multiple accolades, including Forbes Travel Guide 5-star status within four years. From September 2022, in recognition of her outstanding achievements at Pan Pacific London, Anne additionally took on the role of Vice President, Operations for UK & North America. Previously with Morgans Hotel Group, Anne managed St Martins Lane and Sanderson, and also opened Mondrian London at Sea Containers, the first lifestyle hotel for the South Bank.
Caroline Baldwin, Deputy Editor, The Caterer
Caroline Baldwin is a well-respected editor, writer and journalist based in London, currently working at The Caterer. As Deputy Editor she over sees the content strategy, writes and commissions long-form content and analysis articles on the latest developments in the hospitality industry, as well as co-ordinating a number of The Caterer’s events. Caroline’s expertise lies in the hospitality, food, technology, retail and consumer trends space, having worked at senior positions at a number of B2B titles including Computer Weekly, Retail Week, as well as the editor of Essential Retail.
WORKSHOP SPEAKERS
Peter Davies, Client Service Partner, WMT Troncmaster Services
Peter Davies leads the tronc team at WMT Troncmaster Services, part of Moore Kingston Smith. He advises hospitality businesses on the design and operation of tronc systems that are fair, efficient and fully aligned with current legislation. His work supports over 900 venues across the UK. Known for his love of espresso and London’s restaurant scene, Peter combines deep technical expertise with a practical, down-to-earth approach. He’s a confident speaker, regularly featured in trade media and is widely respected for making complex tronc topics accessible to operators of all sizes.
Paul Watson, VP, Hospitality, Sona
Paul is passionate about hospitality and the people who make it thrive. With decades of experience in hospitality tech, he’s dedicated to building systems that make work simpler and more rewarding for frontline teams. Now at Sona, he’s helping shape the future of how the industry works—powered by purpose and people.
Ian Namey, Director of Finance and Business Support, The Savoy London
Ian brings over 25 years of finance experience across multiple sectors. He began his career after studying Economics at Durham University and qualifying as a Chartered Accountant with Deloitte in London. He held finance and transformation roles at Bunzl, Shell, and BT, rising to COO of Cost Transformation and later COO/CFO of Global Customer Services. After a brief role at the Post Office, Ian moved into hospitality, joining Fuller, Smith & Turner PLC shortly before the pandemic, where he transformed the finance function and oversaw audit, risk and procurement. Ian made the move into luxury hotels, joining The Savoy in the summer of 2024, where he has responsibility for Finance, Procurement and IT. He lives in North London with his wife, Catherine, two sons, Luca and Finlay, and their black Labrador, Luna.
Al Malik, Chairman, Oxsana Hospitality
Al is seasoned hospitality operations leader with over a decade of experience in driving performance across luxury hotel portfolios. He specialises in operational efficiency, guest-experience enhancement and team development, blending strategic insight with hands-on leadership to deliver results. With a proven track record of optimising budgets, implementing service innovations and leading multicultural teams, Al thrives in dynamic, fast-paced environments. His passion for fostering collaborative cultures and mentoring talent shines through in his work, whether overseeing hotel launches or revamping guest-journeys. Based in the UK and fluent across global markets, Al brings energy, clarity and a hospitality-first mindset to every challenge.
Samuel O’Rourke, Head of Finance, Fooditude
Starting his hospitality career in 2013, Samuel joined The Savoy Hotel in 2016 as Payroll Manager before progressing to Finance Manager, where he successfully helped navigate the challenges of the pandemic with the iconic property. In 2022, he moved to Ireland to take on the role of Director of Finance & Business Support at Carton House Hotel. Since 2024, he has been with Fooditude Ltd, exploring the corporate catering sector and broadening his expertise within hospitality. Having led finance, payroll and procurement functions through labour shortages, high cost inflation and the pandemic, he understands the critical role of procurement and resource management in tackling today’s rising cost environment
Florian Montag, VP of Business Development, Apaleo
Florian Montag is a seasoned hospitality professional and Co-Founder of Hotelhero, a hotel software review platform that successfully exited to Apaleo in 2021. Now, as VP of Business Development at Apaleo, he drives revenue growth by expanding the company’s customer base and forging strategic partnerships. With deep expertise in hotel operations and technology solutions, Florian plays a key role in advancing innovation and collaboration across the industry. He is also the Co-Founder and Host of the Smack Hospitality Podcast and was honoured with the 2023 ISHC & IHIF Young Leader Award. Passionate about delivering value, he takes a customer-centric approach to building lasting relationships and shaping the future of hospitality technology.
Lina Lemezonaite, Commercial Director, Siggis Capital
Lina Lemezonaite is a Commercial Director at Siggis Capital, a hospitality investment, development and management firm. Lina is responsible for commercial performance across diverse property types, including defining system architecture and distribution strategy. Lina's current projects include Fulham Pier Hotel, Bertrand’s Townhouse and preparations for a new pan-European strategy. Previously, Lina held senior leadership roles at The Collective, Good Hotel Group and Qbic Hotels.
Matt Bell, Managing Director, Mollie’s
Matt Bell is a seasoned hospitality executive and Managing Director at Mollie’s, where he leads the brand’s UK expansion. Mollie’s is "positively different by design” - bold yet modest, stylish yet relaxed, always warm and fun. Under Matt’s leadership, the brand combines innovative technology with a carefully curated, effortless guest experience that delivers outstanding value. Prior to Mollie’s, Matt was Chief Hotel Operations Officer at citizenM, overseeing a portfolio of award-winning hotels in major cities. His career also includes leadership roles at The Hospital Club and Seaham Hall Hotel & Spa. Known for his strategic vision and commitment to authentic, tech-enabled hospitality, Matt continues to shape the future of affordable luxury.
Jessica Kurtz, Global Product Ambassador, Reviewpro Reputation
As Global Product Ambassador at Reviewpro Reputation, Jessica Kurtz helps hotels worldwide turn guest feedback into meaningful business results. With over a decade of experience in hospitality technology and guest intelligence, Jessica works closely with hotel leaders to connect data with strategy—enhancing the guest experience, reputation and revenue. A frequent speaker at international industry events, Jessica shares practical insights on innovation and ROI in hospitality. Passionate about the power of guest sentiment, Jessica believes that understanding what guests say is key to unlocking performance and long-term profitability.
Paul Hammond, Senior Business Development Manager EMEA, Agilysys
Paul Hammond brings a wealth of experience to the Agilysys EMEA Business Development team. With a background including a successful seven-year run at Oracle Restaurants, Paul is an expert in hospitality tech and understanding client needs. He partners with hoteliers to tackle operational challenges and drive success, now helping clients unlock the full potential of their operations through innovative, end-to-end solutions.
