Hospitality Guild chief Suzy Jackson to leave

18-Sep-2013 - Last updated on 26-Sep-2013 at 10:53 GMT

Suzy Jackson was involved in the establishment of the Hospitality Guild

Suzy Jackson is leaving her position as executive director of the Hospitality Guild at the end of September.

Day to day management of the Hospitality Guild will come under the remit of operations director Sophie Roberts-Brown, who joined from the Academy of Food and Wine Service in 2012.

The guild was founded in 2012 and unites 23 of the leading hospitality associations and some of the industry’s largest employers in a modern day guild dedicated to the development of the highest professional industry standards.

David Fairhurst, chair of People 1st, and one of the Hospitality Guild’s founding partners, said: “Suzy’s entrepreneurial skills, leadership and passionate commitment to the hospitality industry have helped drive the Guild forward significantly during the last two years.

Legacy

“As we move to the end of the public funding which was received to establish the Guild, it is clear that Suzy leaves a fantastic legacy in building the platform that will support the Guild’s sustainable future and she has been key to developing its five year strategic plan. I know many in the industry will join me in thanking her for her powerful contribution and wishing her well in the future.”

Jackson was involved in the establishment of the Hospitality Guild and the launch of its careers web portal and its Young Hall of Fame – a recognition scheme for talented young people working in hospitality.

She also secured the funding for the development of Hospitality House, a training and meeting hub for the industry, which will be launched next month.

A Hospitality Guild spokesperson said: “With the completion of these major projects, the organisation’s focus will naturally shift towards operational delivery.”

Ambitions

Jackson has also worked closely with the pub Perceptions Group, a collective of industry executives dedicated to raising the profile of the pub industry as an employment choice.

Keith Knowles, managing director of Beds & Bars and chairman of the Perceptions Group, said: “I’m really sad about Suzy leaving the Hospitality Guild. No-one can criticise her intentions and ambitions in terms of uniting the industry as a first choice for employment. And she was starting to get some real traction.

“I hope she finds another position in the industry so she can continue what she’s started.”