WSH, the parent company of leading hospitality brands including BaxterStorey, Benugo, Searcys and Caterlink, has appointed Maria Stanford as People and Talent Director.
Stanford will join the company in January 2019, leading HR teams across the entire WSH portfolio. She joins WSH following a successful career in Human Resources, including 11 years at luxury retailer, Selfridges Group. During her tenure, Stanford held senior HR roles in the businesses and became the first Group HR Director working across all 4 brands in Europe and Canada.
In addition to her previous roles at Selfridges, Stanford has held senior positions at organisations including Marks & Spencer and Pret A Manger, as well as providing consultancy work for the likes of wagamama, PizzaExpress, Chanel and Fenwick.
Alastair Storey, Chairman and CEO at WSH, said, “Maria brings with her a wealth of experience of successfully leading teams at a number of coveted businesses.
“We have seen a 35% increase in our teams, with employee numbers growing by more than 6,000 since 2014. These people are at the very heart of WSH and Maria’s passion for driving career development makes her ideally placed to lead our committed, growing workforce.”
Stanford commented, “WSH continues to grow at an exciting pace. It is more critical than ever to make sure people remain at the heart of all the businesses as we grow. I look forward to working with the teams across all brands to develop and drive forward initiatives to ensure continued success within this diverse business.”