Speakers

Paul is chairman of HOSPA and of Kew Green Hotels. He has had 38 year career in the international hospitality and leisure industry in a broad range of senior positions across the sector, including seven years City experience gained with two leading investment banks. A qualified chartered accountant, Paul moved to the hospitality sector in 1974, and spent 12 years with Trusthouse Forte including assignments in Sardinia and at the Hotel George V in Paris. After attending courses in 1982 at The London Business School, Ecole Hoteliere, Lausanne, and Cornell University, USA, Paul became a divisional director of Grand Metropolitan in 1985. Later, as MD of La Manga Club Ltd, he was involved in the development and operation of golf resorts in the UK and in Europe. After a care-taking role as CFO of Ciga Hotels SpA in Milan, and its subsequent sale to ITT Sheraton in 1995, Paul joined HSBC James Capel as director of hotels & leisure, followed by a spell as director of Close Brothers Corporate Finance Ltd.

Paul has been non-executive chairman of TRI Hospitality Consulting, LHM plc ( Luxury Family Hotels and Alias), and of Golden Tulip Hotels (UK) which was sold to Whitbread plc in 2007. He was a NED of myhotels, and of Active Hotels from the outset. More recently he was executive chairman of Dartington Hall from 2008 to 2011.

Paul currently holds a number of industry roles including the chairmanship of Kew Green Hotels, which underwent a £110m financial re-structuring in March 2011 with Lloyds and Barclays. Paul has been Chairman of BAHA (now HOSPA) since 2007, a professional association which represents over 1000 industry professionals in finance, IT and revenue management. Most recently, Paul was asked by the three lending banks to The Belfry to advise them on their strategic options in relation to their £105m exposure.