Dawn Lawrence - Founder of Hospitality Jobs UK 

Renowned as an industry expert, Dawn is the 'go-to' person for all things recruitment and she is actively involved in several trade bodies and OAPA & LTC charities as their industry advisor and consultant.

A frequent guest speaker, panellist and judge at key industry events and awards, Dawn continuously leads industry initiatives to showcase hospitality as a great place to work.

Flo Pearce - Co-Owner at The Tollemache Arms

Flo is a pub owner with a deep passion for staff training and development. With several years of hands-on experience working in various roles in the industry, Flo has witnessed firsthand the significant impact that well-trained staff can have on the overall success of a hospitality establishment.

Last year, Flo and her partner Joe won 'Best Individual Programme - Individual Operator' at the NITAs, and they were also crowned Licensees of the Year at the Summer Event.

Joby Mortimer - Corporate Account Director (Hospitality) at Brakes

Joby started out at Whitbread Beer Company, spending 15 years there and seeing it evolve into the Budweiser Brewing Group.

Towards the end of 2019, Joby joined Brakes, part of the Sysco family to head up their Corporate Hospitality Division.

He also owns Waistcoat Wines and is a passionate fundraiser through Pedalling For Pubs, generating funds for both Only A Pavement Away and the Licensed Trade Charity.

Lee Woolley - Director of Learning and Organisation Development at Stonegate Group

Lee has spent over 30 years in the hospitality industry, with 25 of these working across all elements of Human Resources.

Lee is based in Nottinghamshire and currently sits on the iFate Apprenticeship Route Panel and UK Hospitality HR forum, whilst studying for a Master's Degree.

Mark Holden - Company Director at Inn Cornwall Ltd

Mark has been working in hospitality for over 28 years and is currently Company Director at Inn Cornwall Ltd, which operates 3 St Austell Brewery pubs in Cornwall.

Whilst also being a trustee of the BIIAB and Skills & Education Group Foundation, Mark is an Ambassador of the BII, Be the Business and South West Apprenticeship.

He has been recognised as a UK Top 50 SME Apprenticeship Employer and holds the illustrious title of being a previous NITAs winner!

Scott Forbes - Chief Operating Officer (Development and Delivery) at Skills and Education Group

Scott is incredibly well-respected within the education sector, and is committed to championing social mobility through his work. 

His role involves driving the work of the Skills and Education Group foundation to financially support learners, education providers and their staff. 

Scott oversees the international strategy of his company whilst also facilitating customer journeys to always meet each customer's specific needs.

Paul Eeles CBII - Chief Executive Officer at Skills & Education Group 

Paul has over 33 years' experience in the post-16 skills sector, including seven years as a lecturer and 13 years leading work-based learning within colleges and independent provider.

Paul is an experienced public speaker and advocate for the Further Education and Skills sector.

Jeremy Scorer CBII - Licensed Trade Director at HIT Training

Jeremy, or "Jez" as he is affectionately known to friends and colleagues, specialises in the development and delivery of skills and training solutions, with his key area of focus being the licensed hospitality sector.  

Jeremy was also an operator and chaired the East Midlands region of the BII for many years until 2014.

Ed Bedington - Editor at The Morning Advertiser

Ed Bedington is a professional journalist of more than 25 years, from local and regional newspapers to business press.

A huge supported of the BII, he’s been covering the hospitality sector for the past six years as editor of leading industry trade title, The Morning Advertiser, which also runs regular industry events and conferences.

Amanda Hemming - Co-Owner at The Heron Inn

Amanda is the co-owner of the Heron Inn, a beautiful riverside gastropub on the outskirts of Truro, overlooking the Truro and Tresillian river.

Amanda and her husband Nick were the winners of the 2022 edition of the BII's Licensee of the Year Award, with both being made BII Ambassadors at the 2023 Summer Event. Amanda is also one of the newest members of the BII Trustee Board, lending her experience and expertise to our team.

Matt Farrand - Accounts and Sales Manager for Olympus Power

Matt has been working in the renewable energy sector for 25 years and is Accounts and Sales Manager for Olympus Power. He has a wide ranging experience of renewable technologies having previously worked extensively with both ground and air source heat pumps as well as the solar PV industry.

Currently Matt is responsible for the voltage optimisation sector of the business at Olympus Power, as well as running many large scale solar projects. He has a keen interest in the hospitality sector, understanding the sometimes unavoidably high energy needs pose specific problems but also offering strong opportunities.

Paul Pavli - Managing Director at Paul Pavli Consultancy

Paul’s career spans over 30 years in hospitality & leisure with FTSE businesses such as Whitbread, JD Wetherspoon & Punch Taverns.

He currently serves as Non-Exec director of Black Rock Restaurant Group, Yummy Pubs Collection, GlgRealm, as well being a trustee for the charity Only A pavement Away.

Alasdair Collis - Director of Commercial Customers TNT Sports at BT/Warner Bros Discovery

Alasdair has been at TNT Sports (previously BT Sport) since 2012 and believes that the hospitality industry is a key part of the unique DNA of this country.  

He has accumulated over a decade of experience working in the commercial sector of sport, whilst he also held senior positions at TalkTalk, Sky, Accenture and Deloitte after graduating from the University of Oxford in 1999.

Ben Lockwood - On Trade Marketing Manager at Brewdog

 Ben is a dedicated professional with comprehensive marketing management expertise garnered over 15+ years’ experience in the pub and beer industry.

He has previously held senior commercial roles at MItchells & Butlers and possesses further expertise in procurement and operations, engaging across various functions at a management level.

Mark Chapman - Founder & CEO of Zero Carbon Forum

Mark is the Founder and CEO of Zero Carbon Forum, a non profit organisation, driving collaborative action between over 40 leading pub, restaurant, coffee and food-to-go operators to measure, report and reduce carbon emissions and improve profitability.

He is also CEO and Co-Founder of Carbon Statement, the leading provider of energy cost saving solutions for the Hospitality Sector. 

Tamsyn Allington - Founder of Tamsyn & Co

Tamsyn is the founder of Tamsyn & Co, a creative people services agency. She works with CEO’s, senior teams and founders primarily within the hospitality, retail and tech sectors to help them develop thriving workplaces, loyalty, advocacy and engagement for their people.

Her background spans Operations, HR, Communications, Marketing, People Development and Organisational Design within both restaurants, retail, pubs and brewing

Hannah Plumb - Talent & Culture Director at The Alchemist

Hannah is the current Talent & Culture Director at The Alchemist Bar, having now worked at the company for almost 11 years across various roles.

Since November 2022, Hannah has also been a Non-Executive Director at So Let's Talk, supporting the growth of the hospitality wellbeing group.

Craig Parsons - Apprenticeship Manager at Fuller, Smith and Turner PLC

Craig is a true expert in the area of apprenticeships, their funding and delivery.

At Fuller's he has led the development of a partnership approach to apprenticeship delivery with a group of colleges and universities. This has created high set of high quality programmes delivering outstanding benefits to the business and meaningful career development for employees.

Amanda Foncette - Director of ENID HR

Amanda started Enid HR in 2018 as a way of helping SMEs build their HR / L&D function, solving the individual challenges they face and building tools and processes so that they can concentrate on giving their best to their teams and their customers.

She possesses a wealth of knowledge after nearly 30 years in the hospitality sector, with first an accomplished background in Operations, and then L&D to HR.

Sian Wilson - Executive Director: Commercial & Marketing at The Skills Network

Sian is the Executive Director: Commercial & Marketing at The Skills Network, leading the growth, marketing and customer strategy.

She possesses over 25 years of experience in growth, strategic business development, customer experience, marketing, digital and branding. Passionate about tech, people development and impactful growth.

Scott Hulme - Managing Director at Venners Ltd

Scott Hulme is the Managing Director of Venners, a leading support services business that is dedicated to driving operational excellence in hospitality. Heading up a strong team of stocktakers, auditors and consultants,

Scott spends most of his time in management. He heralds from a background in accounting and the pub trade, having worked for pub chains including Beefeaters and Severn Inns.

Simon Webster - Commercial Director at BarLifeUk and Brand Ambassador for Black Tears Cuban Spiced Rum

This year marks 30 years in the hospitality industry for Simon. Having started as a bartender, working up to manager and eventually bar owner.

He has also worked as an industry journalist, cocktail competition judge, founder of industry website BarLifeUK and now Brand Ambassador for Black Tears Cuban Spiced Rum.