Experience

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  Startup Guernsey

  • St Peter Port

  • Chairman

    • Nov 2013 - Present
    • St Peter Port

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  Photographer

  • Photographer

    • 2008 - Present

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  Carl symes

  • Guernsey, United Kingdom

  • Consultant

    • May 2006 - Present
    • Guernsey, United Kingdom

    Consultant on Hotels and restaurants

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  Chamber of Commerce

  • Council member

    • 2000 - 2011

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  Healthspan

  • United Kingdom
  • Manufacturing
  • 100 - 200 Employee

  • Hotels Director

    • Nov 2005 - Oct 2008

    Finish development of 2 luxury hotels, recruit teams and open hotels

  • Hotels Director

    • 2005 - 2008

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  Teulada Holdings Ltd/Kings Mills Hotel Ltd

  • Director and part owner

    • Jan 1994 - Jan 2000

    On leaving Grand Metropolitan Plc., I set up a company with a business partner. We were looking for opportunities in the hotel/restaurant sector and also carried out a number of consultancy projects for businesses that were either in, or were heading for trouble. In one case, we carried out a substantial redevelopment.As a result of one of these consultancy jobs, we bought the Fleur du Jardin Hotel in Kings Mills in May 1991. It was technically bankrupt, we developed the whole business in a way that was then new to the Island, and it became one of the busiest food driven places on the island and generated high levels of hotel occupancy and good profitability. We achieved 3 stars and a gold quality award.We then continued some consultancy projects and bought and developed the Longfrie Inn, which we owned; This was the first major development of a food led pub on the island and was quickly imitated!The Fleur du Jardin was sold in May 2006.

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  Grand Metropolitan Plc

  • Retail Enterprise Group

    • Jul 1988 - Apr 1990

    I returned to Grand Metropolitan Plc., to run this company which developed and rolled out new restaurant chains and brands. A very demanding role with the operation being closely watched by the main Chef & Brewer board as the brief was to get the chains in shape to sell. There were 2 main brands, Pastificio which was a high street pasta/pizza chain and "Old Orleans" bar/restaurants. The team reporting to me for the operation of the businesses consisted of 2 senior operations managers, 5 area managers, a new openings manager and a graduate trainee area manager. We had a separate team for site selection and roll-out which I also managed. As a sale of the Pastificio brand was imminent, I decided to leave to set up my own business.

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  Whitbread Plc

  • Medway Inns

    • Apr 1985 - Jul 1988

    I was responsible for a specialist catering estate of 22 units in the south east of England. It covered small hotels and food driven bars & restaurants. I developed virtually the whole estate in this time, and some developments included the "Brewers Fayre" concept which was new in the south of England.I was also involved in the initial concepts, design and development for several major new brands within Whitbread which were outside my main responsibilities.I was offered my own company with Whitbread but at the same time was approached to return to Grand Metropolitan. I decided to take the Grand Metropolitan position.

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  Grand Metropolitan

  • Director and General Manager

    • Aug 1976 - Apr 1985

    Various companies within Grand Metropolitan Plc., London.; I had a number of positions, starting as an area manager responsible for all businesses that didn't fit into other activities in the group. This included the development of wine bars, banqueting suites, discos and the catering at Lord's and the Oval cricket grounds. I took 3 of these businesses that had previously made losses to the top three profit earners for Chef & Brewer (and earned a considerable number of share options).Grand Metropolitan wanted to gain representation in outside and city catering and bought a small company with a good reputation in City Livery Halls which I ran first as General manager and then as Director & General manager. Its turnover was £200K and in three years I had grown this to £9m and become number 2 in the outside catering sector. We won the contract for Mansion House in the City and all the Lord Mayor's functions as well as banquets at Guildhall, a number of Livery Companies, aerospace companies at the Farnborough Air Show, race courses to mention a few.

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  Grand metropolitan Plc

  • Chef & Brewer

    • Aug 1975 - Aug 1976

  • Chef & Brewer

    • Apr 1973 - Aug 1975

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  Vere Hotels, Kenilworth

  • Assistant Manager

    • Apr 1972 - Apr 1973

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  Watney Group

  • Assistant manager

    • Apr 1971 - Apr 1972