UKHospitality, the newly formed trade association that is the authoritative voice for over 700 companies, has announced the finalists in the 2018 Operations Managers Awards (formerly ALMR Ops Managers Awards). This year’s 16 candidates have been approved by the mentor judges and range across the full spectrum of licensed hospitality businesses.
In the Managed category, the finalists represent Bella Italia, ETM Group, Deltic Group, Oakman Inns, Mitchells & Butlers, Stonegate Pubs and Young’s, and in the Franchised and Leased sector the finalists come from Admiral Taverns and Star Pubs and Bars.
The finalists are Ben Chater, Anna Clissold, Matt Cornwell, Geraint Cryer, Paul Dutnall, Matt Glisson, Stewart Grant, Kyle Gunn, Andrew Jamieson, Adrian Laws, Alasdair Lindsay, JP McKeown, Paul Moore, Garry-David Phillips, Cormac Rawson and Lorna Willoughby.
Nick Bish, founder of the Awards, commented, “The potential of the candidates never ceases to amaze all of those involved. The talent that exists in the industry’s operations teams demonstrates that those who seek to make a career in this business are as good, if not better, than their peers in numerous other retail sectors.
“Let alone dealing with the motivating and supporting their teams or entrepreneurial business owners, they have to ensure they are right up to date with of all the numerous legal issues and environmental challenges that face modern licensed retail premises.
“The continued development of the Awards, where we engage an ever-growing and wider hospitality sector, is testament to the strength of this highly-regarded scheme and the reach of UKHospitality.”
The judges have endorsed 16 individuals to the final stages of the Awards. After the four Mentor Judges had marked each paper they felt these are the right group to be the Finalists in the next stages of the Awards.
Philip Lay, mentor judge and formerly retail director for SA Brain, added, “It continues to impress all of the judges how today’s operations managers evolve to support and develop both managed and leased businesses. They have an ever-growing role within these businesses and the very best make a significant impact on each outlet within their area and are credit to the companies they represent.”
The entry paper judging sees the nominations whittled down to the ‘Finalists’. Individuals are then closely assessed on a day’s worth of routine business visits by one or other of the Awards’ Mentor Judges and this is after they have been exposed to the highly regarded Operations Managers MasterClass. This is led, for the fourteenth successive year, by Chris Nichols and is leavened by inspiring sessions from industry greats that, over the years, have included Rupert Clevely, Peter Borg-Neal, Nick Pring, Simon French, Roger Whiteside, Kris Gumbrell, Peter Hansen and Stephen Gould.
After a final, gruelling, day of interviews in front of the Mentor Judges and eight leading operators from the sector, the winners will be decided and announced at a stand-alone evening ceremony at the London’s Pullman Hotel on Monday October 15