SPRINGBOARD - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Vice Chair
- Partner at Linklaters
Aisling is a partner at Linklaters, a leading global law firm with 4,500 people across 29 offices. She specialises in corporate law and works with a wide range of companies on governance matters. Aisling has also advised Charity Bank for a number of years. Aisling became a trustee of Springboard in 2016 and was attracted to the charity because of its clear and focused mission. She is the Chair of the Springboard Governance Committee.
Job Titles:
- Deputy Training and Hospitality Manager - Britannic Explorer
- Support
Alex has a vast amount of experience in luxury hotels, in particular the rooms division. He has spent time at Brown's Hotel in Mayfair, Elite Hotels and The Royal Household. Alex first worked with Springboard during his time at school when he won the FutureChef competition and he is also a current Springboard Ambassador. Alex is also fellow of the Institute of Hospitality and Freeman of the Worshipful Company of Innholders.
Allister's career began with seven years in the pub trade as an investment manager for the Spirit Group. He then moved into foodservice as Managing Director for England and Wales at Sodexo Prestige. He was named managing director at Mitie Catering in 2011, and two years later oversaw the rebrand of the business to Gather & Gather. After leading the sale of the business to CH&Co in 2019, he is now chief operating officer overseeing the CH&Co business.
Job Titles:
- Inga McVicar
- National Head of Careers & Education
Amanda has been with Springboard for 21 years and has extensive experience bringing together industr…More mailto:amandam@springboarduk.org.uk Amanda McDade National Head of Careers & Education
Amanda has been with Springboard for 21 years and has extensive experience bringing together industry, schools and colleges across the UK. Amanda shapes our innovative and inspiring, industry-focused resources to help teachers deliver curriculum aligned learning in the classroom. She manages Springboard's highly successful and valued flagship Programme - FutureChef, offering schools a highly respected education support programme.
Job Titles:
- Marketing & Events Partner
- Support
With over 10 years experience in the hospitality sector behind her, Amy-Jane joined Springboard in 2019, leading on marketing and events. Amy-Jane has worked both in operational roles and within sales, marketing, PR and events in pubs, bars and restaurant and hotels. Prior to this, Amy-Jane was a qualified project manager, working in regeneration for local government, supporting unemployed people to train, develop employability skills and overcome barriers to employment, which has given her a great background in the understanding of Springboard's objectives. She wanted to help people by working for a charity, whilst continuing to advocate for the hospitality industry and its people.
I joined the EDI group because I feel strongly about my workplace being a champion of equality, not just as a box ticking exercise, but because it truly accepts and supports people and also stands up for those who are under-represented or oppressed in areas of our society. As the Head of Marketing & Events, I hope to communicate our impact with our stakeholders and ensure that we are always making our events as accessible as possible.
Job Titles:
- Group Sales and Marketing Director, Bidfood
- Life Patron
- Support
Away from his job, Andy's responsibilities include; Chair of ‘Arena: The Hospitality Network' since 2016; National Officer of Chaine des Rotisseurs; Fellow of the Institute of Hospitality. He has gained a number of accomplishments over his career, most notable his MBE, awarded in recognition for outstanding services to the foodservice and hospitality industry. Other achievements include; Pair de la Chaine; honourary doctorate from UWL for services to the industry (2017); LACA Chairman Award for his campaign to save universal infant free school meals (2017). Andy is also heavily involved in charitable work, including; founding member of the One and All Foundation; long-standing supporter of Hospitality Action; involved with the Michael Caines Academy; part of the Governments All Party Committee focused on feeding all children. His motivation for being a Springboard Trustee is wanting to make a difference to people's lives, whilst recommending Hospitality as a first choice career.
Job Titles:
- Head of Business Development
- Support
Bhavna joined Springboard in September 2020 with a wealth of knowledge from leading Hotel Groups suc…More mailto:bhavnap@springboarduk.org.uk Bhavna Patel Head of Business Development
Bhavna joined Springboard in September 2020 with a wealth of knowledge from leading Hotel Groups such as The Dorchester, Hilton, Radisson, Accor, IHG and many more. Bhavna was keen to work for a charity to help people and is now very proud to be part of Springboard, a charity that represents the industry she has loved and grown her career in. She started her career in hospitality with a busy Heathrow Hotel as a Front Office Team Member and developed into Senior roles ranging from Reservations, Event Management and Sales. Bhavna is passionate about the hospitality industry and extremely excited to support Springboard's strong vision, mission, and values.
Bryan joined Springboard in February 2020, as Operations Director for London, the South East, South West, Wales and the Midlands. Prior to this, Bryan has over 20 years experience working in the travel sector, in many senior roles within Thomas Cook. He has a highly developed skill set in the fields of Business Development, People Engagement and partnerships, and is highly focused, results-orientated and a target driven individual. Bryan is very passionate about making a difference with individuals and supporting the hospitality sector.
I joined the EDI group at Springboard because I am passionate about people and making a meaningful difference. I have always been committed to fostering a truly inclusive environment in my work, and I wanted to deepen my understanding of Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion to better support this goal. By enhancing my knowledge, I aim to contribute positively to our charity's culture. I firmly believe that inclusivity is essential, and I am dedicated to helping ensure that everyone at Springboard feels valued, supported, and empowered.
Bryan joined Springboard in February 2020, as Operations Director for London, the South East, South …More mailto:bryang@springboarduk.org.uk Bryan Grierson Operations Director
I joined the EDI group because I believe it is vital to bring my perspective to the conversation as a young lesbian. EDI should not be seen just as a requirement but as an opportunity to celebrate our differences in fun, engaging, and educational ways. I am passionate about championing diversity while fostering an environment where everyone feels valued and respected. I firmly believe that all individuals are equal, regardless of their role or status. As a coordinator and a junior member of the Springboard, team, I felt it was important to ensure my voice was heard, contributing to a more inclusive and representative workplace. By being part of the EDI group, I hope to help create a culture where diversity is embraced, celebrated, and everyone can thrive authentically.
Chris joined Springboard as chief executive in August 2020, with overall responsibility for leading the charity and trading subsidiary. Prior to joining Springboard, Chris spent more than 15 years in print and digital communications, covering everything from fashion and restaurants to retail and the weather. Most recently, he spent just under three years as editor of The Caterer, the hospitality industry's leading media brand, overseeing the weekly magazine, suite of print and digital products and 35 annual events including flagship event the Cateys.
Equality, diversity, and inclusion have always been core values of mine. These values have also shaped my career path, leading me to work for a social integration charity in London (The Challenge, powered by NCS) aimed at building an integrated society by bringing together diverse young people, as well as at the YMCA in Vancouver, where I facilitated, then managed federal and provincial community programmes. I had the opportunity to support these community programmes in becoming more inclusive to First Nations young people by attending reconciliation events and implementing learnings to increase their engagement. I hope that by joining Springboard's EDI team, I can benefit from others' knowledge and experiences within the group and continue to help Springboard become a charity that is adaptable and welcoming to everyone, recognising that diversity is strength and inclusive environments foster trust.
I have joined the DE&I Working Group at Springboard because I believe diversity and inclusion are essential for a positive and innovative workplace. I want to help create an environment where everyone feels valued and supported, and where people are encouraged to share their values, backgrounds, and unique personalities.
Job Titles:
- Chief Finance Officer, Compass Group UK & Ireland
- Compass Group UK & Ireland As Chief Finance Officer
- Support
Gareth joined Compass Group UK & Ireland as Chief Finance Officer in August 2021. Previously, he held the role of Tesco's CFO for Asia, based in Bangkok, where he played an integral role in the subsequent sale of the Thailand and Malaysia business in December 2020. Gareth's nine year career at Tesco also included time in the UK retail business and Dunnhumby, including a number of Finance Director roles in FP&A, Financial Control and in Commercial Finance, where he worked closely with the merchandising and supply chain teams. Prior to Tesco, Gareth started his career with PwC, first in Assurance and then in Business Recovery Services.
Job Titles:
- Operations Director
- Inga McVicar / Support
- Operations Director / Inga McVicar / Operations Director
From her first job as a cleaner and glass collector, Inga has worked across the HLT sector for 25+ years, from the licensed trade to event management to tourism destination development. Inga joined Springboard in 2014 after first volunteering as a Springboard Ambassador, then as a freelance trainer. The architect of the first Diageo Learning for Life course in Europe, Inga's role as National Head of Employability is to develop and lead the delivery of Springboard's employability and training services, supporting local projects with national frameworks while directly managing national contracts. Inga is also a Trustee of the Scottish Youth Theatre Trust.
Job Titles:
- Chief Operating Officer, UK & I
- Support
Jean is chief operating officer for Sodexo UK&I that employs 30,000 colleagues delivering food and facility management services at over 2,000 sites for clients across the private and public sectors. Jean trained as an accountant with Chevron and prior to joining Sodexo she held commercial roles across a range of industries including retail, consulting, pharmaceuticals, and media.
Jean joined Sodexo in 2013 as director business shared service, and has since been finance director justice, CFO government worldwide, and CFO Sodexo UK&I, becoming COO at the start of 2025. Passionate about building inclusive work places, Jean leads Sodexo UK&I gender balance advisory board, SoTogether, and serves as a non-executive director on the audit committee for the Wellbeing of Women charity. Outside of Sodexo, Jean enjoys spending time with family and friends, and equestrian sports.
Job Titles:
- Head of Talent Acquisition at Hawksmoor Restaurants
- Head of Talent Acquisition, Hawksmoor
- Support
Jennifer is head of talent acquisition at Hawksmoor Restaurants, leading the recruitment function through a period of growth. She made the move from operations to people 10 years ago and spent several years at an international recruitment agency in a variety of roles before making the move in-house with Michelin-starred Harts Group in 2019.
Job Titles:
- CEO, UK Hospitality
- Support
Kate Nicholls OBE has been CEO of UK Hospitality, the powerful voice representing the broad hospitality sector, since its inception in 2018, having previously worked as CEO and Strategic Affairs Director of the ALMR, the trade body for eating & drinking out businesses. Kate is Chair of the Tourism Alliance and co-Chair of the London Tourism Recovery Board, representing the needs of the wider tourism sector in discussions with Government and the Mayor of London.
She sits on the Government's Hospitality, Tourism and Food & Drink Sector Councils and has previously Chaired the Mayor of London Night-time Commission as well as a member of the Mayor's Covid Recovery Forum. In July 2021, she was appointed as the first Government Disability Ambassador for hospitality, promoting inclusivity. She is Chair of Liverpool ACC, on the board of several industry standards schemes and a trustee of industry charities.
Kate initially worked as a researcher in the House of Commons and European Parliament on food, employment and environmental policy before joining Whitbread to work in Strategic Affairs. She has extensive experience as a political and strategic communications consultant and is a graduate of Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge and Kings College London.
Job Titles:
- Senior Executive
- HR Director, Hilton Worldwide
- Support
Kay is an accomplished senior executive, Pension Trustee, a current Non-Executive Director with NHS Scotland and a Trustee of The Golden Jubilee National Hospital Endowment Fund (a charity set up to fund innovation in healthcare in Scotland). She has extensive experience working at Board level in a changing, international, complex, fast moving and customer focussed organisation. A skilled people manager with a proven track-record of managing transformational and organisational design change projects that deliver tangible business results.
Job Titles:
- Chief Operations Officer
- Support
Kelly has lead Springboard in Scotland, NI, Ireland and North England since 2014. She has a passion …More mailto:kellyj@springboarduk.org.uk Kelly Johnstone Chief Operations Officer
Kelly has lead Springboard in Scotland, NI, Ireland and North England since 2014. She has a passion for the industry, combined with a natural desire to help people. Prior to working at Springboard, Kelly spent 17 years with Thomas Cook and was one of the Founding Members of the Thomas Cook Children's Charity. She is a member of the Scottish Tourism Alliance Tourism Skills Group, a Judge for the Scottish Thistle awards, a member of BII Scotland Council and a board member of Apprenticeship in Hospitality Scotland. During her time at Springboard, Kelly has driven remarkable growth and improved the employment prospects of tens of thousands of young, unemployed and disadvantaged adults within hospitality and tourism.
Job Titles:
- Finance Director
- Inga McVicar / Support
Mandan is a ACCA-qualified professional with over 15 years' experience in a wide range of sectors,…More mailto:mandans@springboarduk.org.uk Mandan Safdari Finance Director FCCA
Mandan is a ACCA-qualified professional with over 15 years' experience in a wide range of sectors, including a large international TV broadcasting organisation, Institutional Shareholder Services, which provides services to asset holders, to her most recent role with National World PLC, which is the third largest local news publisher in the UK. Mandan has formed a large network of relationships across various industries and always pursues a better way through change to improve an organisation. As Finance Director at Springboard, she manages all aspects of the finance department, working alongside the charity's senior leadership team and board of trustees. Mandan is proud to be a trusted professional and represent the Springboard Charity, helping support thousands of people across UK into employment in the hospitality industry.
Job Titles:
- Founder & Life President
- Support
Job Titles:
- Head of Digital Development
- Support
"With over a decade of experience in Hospitality management and consultancy, Ted started with …More mailto:mailto:tedb@springboarduk.org.uk Ted Blackwell Head of Digital Development