People, Recruitment & Talent Episodes

What do dough balls, coffee, Covid crisis meetings, global expansion, and one very determined mum have in common? This week's guest is Caroline Ottoy, Managing Director of WatchHouse. Today, WatchHouse is one of the most exciting hospitality brands on the planet, with 29 locations across the UK, USA and Dubai, and ambitious plans to reach 100 sites globally over the next few years. But Caroline's journey started in a very different place. A teenager destined for a science degree, a year spen...

This week, I sat down with the brilliant Basel Jabri, and this one’s got everything. Global upbringing, accidental career pivots, iconic hotel brands, and a journey that goes from literally steering boats in Dubai… to leading people & culture across a luxury London hotel group. And the best bit? It all started with a dream that didn’t happen. In this episode, Basel and I get into… Growing up internationally thanks to his father’s career in aviation Why he originally wanted to be a pilot, an...

Show your support for Hospitality Sector Letter to the Chancellor What happens when two people who love a bit of unstructured behaviour get together for a structured conversation? The answer? Lots of unstructured conversation This week I sat down with Conrad Brunton, founder of Tonic Talent, passionate hospitality advocate, charity champion, networking powerhouse… and a man who clearly believes that if you’re going to do something, you might as well do it properly. Before we get into his jour...

This week I sat down with the brilliant Ella de Beer co-founder of Electric Mayonnaise and one of those hospitality people whose career reminds you just how brilliantly unpredictable this industry can be. From waitressing at 14 in South Africa (while telling everyone she was 16… obviously), to opening restaurants, running pubs, building multi-site businesses, leading people functions at brands like Ottolenghi & MJMK and now helping shape the next generation of hospitality leaders, Ella’s story ...

Why Understanding Drives Performance This week on Hospitality Meets, Phil is joined by Will Fraser, co-founder of Pineapple, founder of 100 & First, and former professional rugby player. What begins as a conversation about people data quickly becomes something deeper, a clear eyed look at why teams struggle, why talent alone isn’t enough, and why most performance problems come down to misunderstanding, not ability. This is a calm, thoughtful episode about clarity, context, and why better conve...

Prepare. To. Be. Happy. Returning to Hospitality Meets, Klaudia Mitura - work psychologist, L&D leader at the Science Museum Group, host of The Happiness Challenge podcast, author of The Alphabet of Happiness, and an actual Certified Chief Happiness Officer (yes, really) delivers one of the most uplifting, honest, and quietly powerful conversations we’ve ever recorded. This episode is not about toxic positivity, pretending everything’s fine, or slapping a smile on life’s messier moments. It’s...

This week on Hospitality Meets, Phil sits down with Dulcie Swanston, bestselling author, executive coach, leadership trainer, neuroscience and psychology “magpie,” and one of the clearest thinkers you’ll ever meet in hospitality. Dulcie’s career spans 23 years at Bass PLC / Mitchells & Butlers, senior HR leadership, graduate programme design, global executive coaching, and now running multiple businesses that all share one simple mission: Make complicated things simple, and usable now! From ac...

This week, I sat down with Dan Barnes, Managing Director of Flourish Hospitality, a learning and development consultancy built on one simple idea: that every moment in hospitality is a chance to help someone grow. Dan’s story is one of those brilliant hospitality journeys that started with polishing cutlery and pretending to be a grown-up in a suit and somehow led to building learning cultures across hotels, restaurants and private members’ clubs. From Marriott to Edwardian Hotels, Caprice Hol...

This week on Hospitality Meets, I had the absolute pleasure of sitting down with the brilliant Edward Gallier (Edd), Head of Learning & Development at Leonardo Hotels UK & Ireland and freshly minted Catey Award winner 2025 Edd’s career has been built on passion, purpose, and the odd bit of chaos (because what’s hospitality without it?). From wild award show mishaps to deep reflections on leadership and learning, this episode is a masterclass in how to stay grounded, laugh often, and never lose s...

Episode Summary: In this heartwarming and hilariously honest episode of Hospitality Meets, I sit down with the brilliant Abigail Tan, CEO of St Giles Hotels — a woman who’s equal parts rock star, rebel, and real-deal leader. From dreams of fronting a band to running an international hotel group, Abigail’s journey is a masterclass in following your heart (and occasionally your vacuum cleaner). Expect laughter, leadership lessons, and the occasional toilet paper obsession as Abigail opens up abo...

Episode Summary In this sparkling episode of Hospitality Meets, I sit down with the unstoppable Michelle Moreno, founder of QAB Leadership (Is that really it's name Michelle?) From accidentally elbowing Leonardo DiCaprio to fangirling over Sarah Jessica Parker in the dark, Michelle’s journey through hospitality is as wild, funny, and inspiring as it gets. With a career that’s taken her from London’s hottest openings to Mykonos, India, and Mauritius, Michelle’s story is one of resilience, humo...

We're back! And we're back for at least another year thanks to the legends at Rotacloud!!! And what a way to welcome us back with none other than the beyond epic, deep thinking and hilarious Gina Knight, Head of People at Flat Iron. Gina brings a big dose of warmth, humour, and honesty as she takes us from reception desk chaos to Ibiza career pact holidays, via Girl Guide hooch smuggling and a heated broccoli debate. This episode is proof that hospitality is never boring and that laughter rea...

In this entertaining and insightful episode, I joined David Cochrane, the CEO of HIT Scotland (https://hitscotland.co.uk/), who shares his incredible journey through the hospitality industry. From his early days as a chef (with a few kitchen disasters) to leading a transformative organisation, David offers a mix of heartfelt wisdom, career insights, and laugh-out-loud moments. The conversation covers the importance of hospitality education, the camaraderie of the industry, and some unforgettable...

So here's another cheeky bonus for you this week. Having connected properly earlier in the year, Michael and I decided it might be interesting to have a chat about what we'd learned from over 500 conversations with hospitality professionals so todays bonus, is that chat in all its glory done in collaboration with the Michael and his awesome show, Hospitality Mavericks. We dive deep into the heart of adversity, resilience, and the powerful impact of diverse backgrounds in the hospitality indust...

Hospitality Meets - Episode 200 Welcome to the 200th episode of "Hospitality Meets"! In this landmark celebration, we delve into some of the best bits from the last 100 episodes including the extravagant tales, pivotal moments, missteps and inspiring journeys shared by our incredible guests. Each story is a testament to the laughter, dedication, creativity, and resilience inherent in the world of hospitality. What you can expect in this episode (Bed in, it's epic!):- Eddy Tannous haircut disa...

Join us for a laughter-packed and enlightening episode I dive into the captivating world of Trudi Parr, Head of People at Mollie's (https://mollies.com). Trudi takes us on a rollercoaster ride through the hysterical, the surreal, and the downright cool moments that define her journey in the hospitality industry. 🎤 In This Episode: High-Profile Shenanigans: Trudi spills the beans on the unique perks and backstage drama of working at iconic events like Radio 1's Big Weekend and Glastonbury. From ...

We've got time for a cheeky bonus episode this week so today, we have a very special guest joining us - Tim Andrews. Tim is currently a talent manager at Jumeirah Hotels and also the founder of the podcast "Talking Hospitality." With his extensive experience in the industry, spanning from his early days working in a bar in Soho to his current roles, Tim brings a wealth of insights to share. In this episode, we'll be diving into Tim's fascinating journey in hospitality. We'll explore how his div...

Sometimes the guest chooses you and they don't even know it. I'd been a fan of the work that today's guest had been doing for quite some time so I was beyond thrilled when she said a big Essex yes to coming on the show. I'm joined by the dynamic and Epic Shereen Ritchie, CEO of Buns from Home. Shereen shares her incredible journey in the hospitality industry, emphasising the importance of authenticity, embracing one's uniqueness, and the value of entry-level roles in nurturing future leaders. ...

This week on Hospitality Meets, we had the incredible privilege to sit down with Natasha Robinson, a torchbearer for a storied legacy in the restaurant industry. Natasha’s deep-rooted connection to hospitality comes from a lineage spanning generations, with her parents standing out as boundary-pushing restaurateurs. From her upbringing amidst the bustling energy of family restaurants to her contemporary role guiding young talents, Natasha’s journey is awe-inspiring! We cover January Changing ...

Time for a cheeky bonus and this week I welcomed the absolutely epic, and my good friend, Dr Lizzy Bernthal who is a resilience specialist to chat through work place Toxicity and how to eradicate it (Amongst other things). Lizzy has an amazing story of how she ended up specialising in this under discussed, but relevant topic and we cover a lot including:- The Army Fighting back against Toxicity Resilience Forms of Toxicity The Drama triangle Empowerment Language Choices The signs of To...

It's Valentines day and so I got to talk to someone about a subject I LOVE! That being, People! I welcomed the quite superb Jo Harley, Co-founder of Korero and Hendrick & Hyde, to the show. Jo was nervous about coming on the show as she's never had the confidence to do this sort of thing before but she needn't have worried as she brought her natural, chatty self and we laid into a lot, including:- Brewdog Waterloo Marketing Measures of success Coming to work What good looks like Leisure M...

Up until around 2 years ago, I can't say that I'd even heard of the company that today's guest comes from, but when I learned what they do and how well they are doing it, I just had to get him on. I welcomed Max Lawrence, Director of Hospitality Assured to the show and we get through a lot, including:- What is Hospitality Assured? Knowing what you want to do The privilege of giving service Learning the ropes with Holiday Inn Accounting Fascinating challenges Moving to Independent busines...

What a total thrill it was this week to open my little black book of old work mates and get one of the nicest gents on the planet onto the show in the form of Marc Thompson. He also has a wonderful job title, Manager - Enrichment Programming which he does for the quite marvelous Seabourn Cruise Line. You can learn all about what enrichment programming covers in this episode as well as:- Marc's awesome job The cruise industry Indirect Marketing Taglines Thomson Holiday Repping Jobs on a Crui...

You can't beat a good old chat about all things leadership and that's exactly what you get this week as I welcomed the host of the superb Hospitality Leadership Podcast and Leadership coach, Andy Jones to the show. As you can imagine, there's more than a little chat around leadership but we also get through Andy's journey into hospitality and a whole lot more besides, including:- Leadership The Pre-Hospitality Career Experiencing bad leadership Taking on a cafe Covid, Day one Resourcefuln...