2006 Awards

Setting Standards, Awarding Achievements

Held in the splendid Jumeirah Carlton Tower Hotel in London on one of the hottest nights of the year, the Hotel and Catering Personnel and Training Association held a glittering evening of awards and applause on Thursday 20th July. The Association, which provides a forum for Human Resource & Training specialists & aligned companies in the hotel and catering industry, was delighted to welcome guests to their twelfth annual Awards for Excellence event, where the industry recognises and rewards outstanding achievement within the field of HR in the hospitality sector.

Derek Picot, the Area General Manager of the Jumeirah Carlton Tower opened the Awards’ event by welcoming guests and setting the scene for the evening. He said: “One of the Associations key functions is to recognise and promote best practice in an industry where people make or break businesses. As well as the kudos of winning one of these much sought after accolades, each winner will receive a very stylish and distinctive star-shaped Tiffany trophy as well as a cheque for £500.” Derek introduced the sponsors and thanked them for supporting the event before handing over to hosts for the evening, Judith Owen, HCPTA Chair and Jane Sunley, HCPTA Treasurer.

The Awards were divided into five categories and nominees were judged for their professionalism, creativity, influence and impact.

Categories

• Excellence by an Operations / Line Manager who has made a Significant Contribution to HR
• Excellence in Training and Development
• Excellence in Establishing Links with Schools, Colleges and Universities
• Excellence in Human Resources
• HCPTA Rising Star Award (2nd year)

The first category of Excellence by an Operations / Line Manager who has made a Significant Contribution to HR was judged by Mark Lewis, Editor of the Caterer and Hotelkeeper and presented by Carl Smith to the winner, John Wood, Culinary Director of The Grove whose achievements using the HR function resulted in reduced staff turnover, increased communication and the introduction of training and development for staff.

Excellence in Training and Development, the second category to be announced, was sponsored by Quest Elite and judged and presented by Jane Sunley in her capacity as Managing Director of learnpurple. The criteria for this category considered the implementation of company initiatives – rather than individual achievement - and the winner was Sean Wheeler, Director of People Development at the newly amalgamated Malmaison and Hotel Du Vin.

The third category, Excellence in Establishing Links with Schools, Colleges and Universities was judged and the award presented by Anne Pierce from Springboard on behalf of sponsors Savoy Education Trust. This category was closely contested with four, rather than three finalists but after much deliberation the winner was Jo Simpson, Area Resourcing Manager and her Team at Intercontinental Hotels Group and the Award was accepted, in her absence, by David Gale.

2006 HCPTA Rising Star, was developed and awarded for the first time in 2005 to recognise new talent within the industry and was sponsored by learnpurple. Judge Marianne Haddow explained the criteria against which the nominees were measured which included: impact and influence on the business; proven personal development; innovation and contribution to the industry. She announced the winner Jon Reed, Training Co-ordinator from the sponsoring company learnpurple who she said had demonstrated a significant impact on the business, increasing sales by 233% and repeat bookings by 60% as well as securing business from over 50 new client companies.

Jonathan Exten-Wright from sponsors DLA Piper Rudnick Gray Cary joined Jane and Judith on stage to present the final Award of Excellence in Human Resources. The entries for this category all integrated HR activities into the wider work place and in doing so took a balanced approach to the four key areas of Resourcing, Employee Relations, Reward and Learning & Development. Entries fell into 2 categories: Companies who were consolidating and building on established HR practice and Growing companies who were bringing new professional HR practice. Judge Diana
Warren was pleased to announce the winner as Sean Wheeler, Director of People Development at Malmaison and Hotel Du Vin and said: “This is a first for HCPTA – to be presenting a second Award for Excellence to the same person in the same year.

For the judges to conclude that Sean and the Malmaison and Hotel Du Vin group have earned this accolade in two separate categories, awarded by different judges and measured against differing criteria is unprecedented. We will certainly be watching what he and his group do in the future!”.

Judith Owen rounded off the evening saying: “We cannot end the Awards without thanking all of our sponsors, without whose support there would be no Awards. Thanks must also go to the judges for their time and considered deliberations – not to mention blood, sweat and tears – but most of all our thanks go to the finalists, winners and all of you who are here tonight. Without your continued diligence the industry would be a lot poorer.”

(l-r) Jon Reed, Jane Sunley, Sean Wheeler, David Gale, Judith Owen and John Wood (photograph: Smile Photography)