The Board

Kate Nicholls OBE is the Chair of UKHospitality, the powerful voice representing the broad hospitality sector. Kate previously worked as CEO and Strategic Affairs Director of the Association of Licenced Multiple Retailers (ALMR).

She sits on the Government’s Tourism, Hospitality, and Food & Drink Sector Councils, where she represents the wider hospitality and tourism sector. Kate is also the Chair of the Institute of Licensing, a board member of Best Bar None, and a trustee of Hospitality Action and Springboard.

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 is a graduate of Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge and Kings College London.

Simon Emeny is the Executive Chairman of Fuller, Smith and Turner PLC. He joined Fuller’s in 1996. He was made Chief Executive Officer in 2013 and Executive Chairman in 2025.

Simon is an alumnus of Harvard Business School and former Chairman of the British Beer & Pub Association. He is on the Board of The National Gallery and is the Senior Independent Director for WH Smith.

Paul Flaum started his career as a chartered accountant at PWC and then for the last 25 years has held senior roles across the whole of the Leisure, Tourism and Hospitality Industry ( from Cinemas to Hotels to Pubs to Restaurants to UK Holidays). He has been the Group Chief Executive Officer for Bourne Leisure since 2017. Previous to that he was the Managing Director for Premier Inn and Whitbread Restaurants for a number of years.  He is also a Director of UK Hospitality ( the Industry Lobbying Group) and a member of the Advisory board for WiTHL. His charitable interests include Holocaust Education Trust. Paul is married to Gail and has 5 children. He is also QPR season ticket holder (unfortunately!).

Steve became Chief Executive Officer of the Azzurri Group in 2015 to facilitate the buyout of ASK and Zizzi from Gondola Group. The past ten years have seen the continued growth of the ASK and Zizzi brands and the acquisition and rapid growth of Coco di Mama. More recently the group has acquired Ireland’s leading Mexican fast casual concept, Boojum and started the rollout in the UK, developed a hospitality focused technology business, OpenR and acquired the rights to Daves Hot Chicken in the UK & Ireland, launching with a flagship site in central London.

Bob has over 50 years of experience in hospitality and leisure. He is currently Chairman of Mitchells & Butlers plc who operate 1700 managed ,pubs, restaurants and hotels.

He is on the UKH board and was President of the ALMR and was involved in the creation of UKH.

Bob has been Managing Director of Beefeater Restaurants, on the board of S&N plc as Chairman & CEO of its retail business.

He has also been Chairman of Park Resorts, David Lloyd Leisure, And Carpetright Right, as well as being on the boards of, Aga plc, Britvic and the Restaurant Group.

He has been awarded Retailers Retail award, industry icon, Catey Award and Lifetime achievement Award.

David is CEO at Stonegate Group, the UK's largest pub company, with over 4,000 pubs, bars and venues.

Having started working in pubs whilst studying at university, David worked his way up through various operational roles in some of the country’s biggest hospitality groups, building a wealth of knowledge, experience and passion for the sector.

Dominic was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Whitbread PLC in January 2023.

Whitbread operates brands including Premier Inn Hotels, Brewers Fayre and Beefeater Restaurants. Whitbread is the oldest and largest hospitality company in the UK, employing around 35,000 people and operating in the UK, Europe and the Middle East.

Dominic’s prior roles include CEO of Domino's Pizza Group plc and Chief Executive of Costa Coffee.

Martin is Chairman of Travelodge Hotels Ltd, Parkdean Resorts and Innis & Gunn.

He previously chaired Center Parcs in the UK and Europe, as well as Burger King UK, Wagamama, Casual Dining Group and Holmes Place Health Clubs. He has sat on the Boards of Majid Al Futtaim Entertainment, Disneyland Paris, Regus plc, Perry’s, QCNS and Duke Street Capital.

After graduating from Oxford, Martin spent the early part of his career at Reckitt, Sara Lee Corporation and Scottish & Newcastle plc, as well as being a management consultant for McKinsey & Co.

Steve Richards became Chairman of UKHospitality in 2018 and transitioned to the role of President in 2023.

Steve is the CEO of Parkdean Resorts which is the UK’s leading operator of static caravan, lodge, cabin and glamping holiday resorts, acquired for £1.2bn by Canadian PE firm Onex Corporation in 2017.

Steve was previously CEO of Casual Dining Group which at the time was the UK’s third largest restaurant business operating High Street brands such as Bella Italia, Las Iguanas, Café Rouge and La Tasca.

As an executive, Steve has spent 30 years working in multi-site consumer businesses, the first 15 years with FSTE 100 Plc’s and thereafter as CEO/MD of four PE backed companies.

Steve has built and sold businesses, transformed brands and driven revenue digitalisation, led tech platform transformation and organisational change, as well as leading scale M&A, corporate refinancing and restructuring strategies.

Catherine is Chief Executive of Elior UK, one of the largest foodservice operators in the country and part of Elior Group – one of the world’s leading operators in contract catering and support services. With years of experience in foodservice, she has consistently grown the UK business in a sustained and ethical way and created a positive, culture with a team that is focused on delivering a first-class experience for clients and their customers.

Since Catherine’s appointment as CEO in 2014, she has steered the company to profitable growth and masterminded several company acquisitions. This resulted in enhanced scale and entering new sectors which have proved to be successful and strengthened the positioning of Elior in the UK foodservice market.

Robin is a Partner with Trispan and Chair of Rosa’s Thai, Pho, Mowgli, Thunderbird, and is a NED with Fullers PLC, Caffè Nero, and UKH.  He has spent 40+ years in F&B, holding senior operating roles with many leading casual brands. As YO! Sushi CEO/Chair he built the iconic brand to 100+ restaurants. He has received awards including MCA’s “Retailer of the Year,” Catey’s “Group Restauranteur,” and was awarded an OBE in 2016.

Alexander Salussolia is the accomplished Managing Director of Glendola Leisure Group and Hotel Management International, the holding company for the Carlton Hotel Collection. The Carlton portfolio comprises eleven 4-star hotels across the UK and Benelux, where Alexander also sits on the Supervisory Board.

With a hospitality career spanning over four decades, Alexander set up Rainforest Cafe in the UK and has created and developed a range of successful concepts, including Waxy O’Connor’s, Shilling Brewing Co, Alston Bar & Beef, and Gordon Street Coffee.

As Managing Director of Glendola Leisure Group, Alexander oversees a diverse portfolio of premium hospitality venues, including bars, restaurants, brewpubs, and cafés across the UK. With approximately 18 venues, the group is known for blending distinctive, high-quality concepts with operational excellence. From landmark destinations like the iconic Waxy O’Connor’s in Soho to innovative craft-led experiences such as Shilling Brewing Co in Glasgow, Glendola has consistently demonstrated a flair for creating enduring, guest-focused brands. The company is recognised within the sector for its independent spirit, strong family ownership, and emphasis on quality, innovation, and long-term stewardship.

Allen joined UKHospitality in 2024 as Deputy CEO after five years as Executive Director and Acting Chief Executive of London & Partners, the global trade, investment and tourism promotion agency for the UK’s capital city as the city recovered from the pandemic.

After starting his career at the Foreign Office, Parliament and Ministry of Justice, Allen worked during the financial crisis and Brexit period at the London Stock Exchange and Barclays Bank. He has served on the boards of several think tanks and political organisations.

Outside of work, Allen divides his time between food, renovating his house, and exploring the UK with his wife Katy, and their daughter.

Damian Walsh has worked continuously within trade associations since 1990, representing the full breadth of the sector from late night through live music to bars, restaurants and hotels.  He is Chairman and Founder of the Mondiale Group with interests in specialist media and economic data for the global hospitality industry.