Back of House

Hospitality is an important industry to society, and as long as people continue to interact they will require an environment in which to do so. But as awareness grows and the industry becomes increasingly on-trend, expectations are raised. The essence of service is not a mystery, but many do not fully grasp the minor touches that can elevate an experience and make it both memorable and great. My c...

Source: LinkedIn Bio, Simon McGrath AM I love the hospitality industry and I could never give back enough to this incredible industry. I have worked in some terrific hotel companies and have been fortunate to work throughout the Asia Pacific region, in the resorts and cities of Thailand, Malaysia, Australia and New Zealand. Ultimately I have found my home in Accor, which I joined in 2006. Every da...

Frank Roberts is known throughout the industry as a great leader, consummate professional and all round nice guy. Quoted from the Merivale website. " At Merivale we aim to bring a little magic into the everyday. We are driven to deliver unique and memorable experiences to every person who steps into one of our venues. Owned and run by the Hemmes family for over 60 years, Merivale began as an iconi...

The Lancemore Group have six arms to our business. 1. A multi-award winning boutique hotel company with iconic hotels across Australia 2. A white label hotel management company who operate hotels under either an independent brand or in conjunction with a franchise. 3. Critically-acclaimed restaurants, cafe's and cellar doors 4. Some of Australia's finest spa's - both critically acclaimed and award...

Great White Partners is a full service hospitality, design, management and operating company that owns and operates multiple F&B locations throughout Southern California under the Great White brand among others. The group has a combined 35 years experience in design, construction, deal making, operations and management across various sectors including real estate, construction management, brand de...

Mike believes in the inspirational power of cities and spends a good amount of time encouraging anyone in his orbit to get out of the house, to know their city and to have more fun. While working as a lawyer in the Middle East, he spotted an opportunity to launch global lifestyle brand Time Out in Sydney in 2007 to achieve these aims. In 15 years at the helm of Time Out Australia he has grown the...

Heading up Ovolo Australia Operations, Dave brings with him over 15 years’ experience within the hospitality industry. An exemplary hospitality executive who creates strategic alliances with organisation leaders, Dave is driven by a consistent goal for effectively aligning with and supporting key business initiatives across a company’s portfolio. He builds and retains high performance teams by hir...

Mark Hawthorne has an incredible story, rising from burger-flipper to CEO at McDonald's. After 26 years in the organisation, Mark moved to more of a start up business in Guzman y Gomez, redefining their strategy and setting them up for significant growth. Michael Rodrigues: www.linkedin.com/in/michael-rodrigues-154a3811/ Luke Butler: www.linkedin.com/in/mrlukebutler/ Time Out: www.timeout.com/sydn...

Mark Calabro’s ability to combine his love of food with his skills in technology, marketing and sales, has made him the perfect ally for the hospitality industry, where increasing overheads and competition continues to shrink profit margins. As co-founder and head of sales at point-of-sale technology brand OrderMate, launched in 2003, Mark has more than 15 years’ experience building a technology b...

Stu is a co-founder and Trade Director of Four Pillars Gin. Before starting the gin distillery in 2013 he was the founder of Liquid Ideas, Australia's leading creative communications agency for lifestyle brands. Stuart is an engaging communicator on all matters communications and marketing and also has a lengthy background in food, wine, hospitality and travel, including also co-owning a luxury tr...

Given the current state of play, we thought it could be valuable to offer some real insight into navigating significant financial challenges. Knowing your options is valuable. Morgan assists in situations involving restructuring advisory, performance improvement and debt or capital raising, implementing solutions to manage financial or operational distress, maximise performance and assisting in ob...

Paul is co-founder and chief executive officer of Proof & Company, one of Asia Pacific’s leading independent spirits companies. Under his leadership, Proof & Company has been ranked one of the 500 Fastest Growing Companies in Asia Pacific by the Financial Times, and developed to encompass eight offices across the region, a portfolio of leading independent spirits, and the world’s most awarded drin...

Paul Waterson led the creation of Australian Venue Co, formerly Dixon Hospitality Group, and has driven the group’s rapid growth from small Victorian pub group to one of the country’s largest and most dynamic hospitality groups. Paul was previously the Chief Operating Officer of Dixon Hospitality and brings experience from General Manager roles at Spotless and Healthscope. Paul’s experience from o...

Shane is an accomplished hospitality executive with a proven ability to develop and implement operational strategies that support business and financial objectives. Having superior capabilities to facilitate and implement change management, whether in turnaround circumstance or organic business growth. He has significant management experience gained from managing organisations throughout Australia...

The word "entrepreneur" for a pre-COVID generation might conjure the co-working tech startup image. Or the smile on the face of Zoom founders right now. It's less common to think about established businesses, or household names, as the frontier of entrepreneurship. But as many of us are currently realising, innovation is the name of the game. So the question becomes how does an organisation encour...

Lifting of restrictions in Australia will give rise to two schools of thought for hospitality operators. To put things back the way they were or to reimagine the future? Hospitality businesses must find a way to survive the pandemic, as well navigate the tough economic conditions that follow. If ever there was a time for creative thinking and innovation this is it! Cities that get this right will...

Deputy Lord Mayor Jess Scully is a curator, cultural strategist and creative industries advocate who is passionate about connecting people with creativity and empowering them to participate in the life of their city. From 2009 to 2017 Jess was the founding director of Vivid Ideas, Australia's largest creative industries event, a 23-day event which enlivens the city with talks, workshops, exhibitio...

Mike Rodrigues, MD Timeout Australia

Ted Helliar - The Social Beat. https://thesocialbeat.com.au/

Hamish Watts - Applejack Hospitality

Paul Schulte, Prince of York.

Brett Sergeant is one of the country’s leading hospitality executives, possessing an unrivalled level of success and experience across a diverse suite of sectors. He has over 20 years’ experience leading some of the country’s most successful and high profile food & beverage and gaming businesses. Brett is an accomplished executive recognised for driving business excellence through sound and innova...

Having gained experience across a variety of industries and levels of business, Tom is at his best when working with organisations, teams and individuals to ensure understanding, alignment and delivery of partners’ context, objectives and ambitions. Tom also thrives being a part of leadership teams and organisations whereby he can employ his ability to communicate, coordinate and support individua...

A man who needs no introduction, by virtue of his upbringing, Neil Perry was destined to be a restauranteur. His father, a keen fisherman, gardener and embracer of different cultures, was an incredible influence on his relationship to food, resulting in Neil owning a diverse portfolio of premium dining institutions. We learn more about Neil's approach to sustainability, business and the products t...

Josh Pyke is a household name in Australia, however few will fully appreciate the work he has done to cultivate the creative pursuits of many young aspiring artists. He has taken an active position in the conversation around Sydney's night time economy, realising the importance of hospitality and entertainment venues to the continued evolution of the city's creative scene. Favourite Podcast/Book T...