At the heart of this restructuring is the promotion of current CEO, Kate Nicholls OBE, who steps into the organisation’s inaugural paid and full-time Chair role. Her current deputy, Allen Simpson, will ascend to the position of CEO.
Nicholls’ new remit as Chair will allow her to dedicate even more time to championing the sector across both the political and media landscapes. This move aims to deepen engagement with the government, enhancing its understanding of the industry’s critical importance and the pressing challenges it faces. This reflects not only the expanded size and scope of UKHospitality but also Nicholls’ established role as a leading, respected voice with successive administrations.
The day-to-day operational leadership of UKHospitality will now fall to Allen Simpson. Simpson, who joined the organisation 18 months ago from London & Partners – the Mayor of London’s tourism, inward investment, and city marketing agency – brings a wealth of experience across the tourism and leisure industry, coupled with expertise in global investment and economic policy. His tenure as deputy CEO has already seen him lead pivotal projects highlighting the sector’s immense value to communities and individuals across the UK.
Adding to this powerful new structure, Steve Cassidy, the non-executive chairman, will transition into the role of President. This strategic alignment of leadership aims to empower Nicholls and Simpson to deliver a new, “bolder strategy” for the organisation, promising an even more ambitious vision for its members and the wider industry, details of which will be revealed in the coming months.
Cassidy lauded Nicholls’ transformative impact, noting that under her leadership, UKHospitality “had been transformed… into a formidable force for the good for the sector, most notably during the worst crisis the industry has ever faced – Covid.” He added, “Having both a dedicated, full-time Chair and a CEO in place, UKHospitality can become even bigger and better, and go further, faster.”
A New Chapter for Hospitality Advocacy
Nicholls herself described this as a “new chapter” that unequivocally reflects the impact, status, and ambition of UKHospitality, affirming its continued role as “the vital voice for our broad and important sector.” She highlighted that the new structure follows a period of sustained growth and the establishment of the UKHospitality team as “the go-to voice for the broad hospitality sector by government and the media alike.”
“We have established strong and effective influence for the country’s fourth largest economic sector and have a seat at the highest table alongside other core business groups on the macro-economic issues of today,” Nicholls continued. “Together we will work alongside Government on some of the most pressing developmental policies for this country and its key industries.”
Among her immediate priorities, Nicholls stressed the vital importance of ensuring the government continues to heed calls for sector support, particularly in the wake of the £3.4 billion of costs that impacted the industry in April. Additionally, she highlighted the urgent need for a root-and-branch reform of the business rates system and the imperative of building “longer-term momentum for the compelling rationale for creating a dedicated VAT rate for hospitality.”
Allen Simpson expressed his excitement about stepping into the CEO role and building upon Nicholls’ remarkable momentum. “My focus will be to drive growth, services, and a platform for success, for – and with – our members. The economic context is shifting fast, and as a sector we need to take greater control of our own destiny,” he affirmed.
Beyond policy change, the organisation is also committed to significantly growing its operational capacity, particularly in skills and training. This ambition has already seen the launch of the Sector-based Work Academy Programmes (SWAPs) scheme, a collaborative initiative with the government to train new talent for the sector across 26 regions nationwide, stay tuned for more industry insights from Bancm.
