Meet the Executive Team

Began my hospitality career at the age of five with my
parents business then joined Trust House Forte on their
Management Training Scheme and progressed through
their catering and hotels business to Vice President for
their European business based in Rome. I left after 20
successful years and became a director of a new start
up pub business which was successfully sold to Greene
King Plc and I then was appointed Managing Director
of their managed pub business. After a period of
consolidation and restructuring including taking over
another two businesses I left and became CEO of a
troubled pub business that I restructured and
successfully sold to Greene King Plc two years later.
I then became a Non Executive Chairman of a
Restaurant company and held a number of part
time non-executive advisory roles before joining The
Burhill Group in 2006.

3 things I would take to a desert island:
My snorkelling gear, fishing line & hook
Wind generator (to power No3)
Radio transmitter (for music and when I want to get
off the Island)

Ultimate dinner guest:
Sir David Attenborough

Dream Fourball to play in or caddy for:
Sir Clive Woodward
Chris Evans
My Dad
Halle Berry, with me being her caddie!

I started life in Liverpool before going off to university, graduating in science and entering a career in chartered accountancy and finance with PWC in Birmingham. After a subsequent move into industry I joined the hospitality and leisure sector and worked in a number of finance and commercial roles including London, and international hotels with golf locations in Europe and further afield. Following a stint in the related food business and private equity, I joined the Burhill Group team as finance director. Since then I have witnessed ongoing change and growth in the business which will inevitably continue. My experience at Burhill has highlighted to me how committed our people are how essential our people are to our success and the enjoyment of what we do from day to day.

Although I pursued more energetic activities in prior times, including football, cycle racing and a stint as a reservist, with my family I am now more sensible and enjoy the outdoors at a leisurely pace including occasional skiing, hill walking and boating. I am a strong believer in life-long learning and continuous personal development in whatever form is right for you, at whatever stage you are at in your life.

3 things I would take to a desert island:
My wife
Boat
On-line e-books and music

Ultimate dinner guest:
Luciano Pavarotti “One of the very nicest things about life is the way we must regularly stop whatever it is we are doing and devote our attention to eating.”

Dream Fourball to play in or caddy for:
My Dad
Winston Churchill
James Joyce

From a young age I had a burning curiosity of hotels and hospitality, the result I believe from travelling with my parents.  This curiosity lead to me becoming what was known on campus as a Hot Cat (Hotel & Catering Degree).  After graduating I worked in hotels for a number of years, I then opened and managed health & tennis clubs in the London area before taking up the opportunity to transfer into golf where I matched my hospitality skills with the language of ‘swindles’ and ‘preferred lies’! I left Crown Golf in 2014 when I joined Burhill Group as Operations Director.  Looking back, my greatest achievement is seeing the careers develop for the countless number of people who I’ve had the pleasure of working with.  If there was one thing I witnessed as a travelling child, it’s the value in people.

3 things I would take to a desert island:
Goggles
Flippers
Sun lotion

Ultimate dinner guest:
For those who know me, there’s no surprise when I say Mary Berry (as long as she brings dessert)

Dream Fourball to play in or caddy for:
Myself and my 3 daughters – for I hope they grow up loving the game

From renting a variety of vehicles, making smoothies, and running golf clubs its been a varied career so far.  My earliest memory as a four year old child was listening to The Drifters “Under the boardwalk” in my father’s Vauxhall Cavalier and then falling out into the middle of the road without my father noticing. I knew then that the path of least resistance was not for me. With a passion for all things fun, adventure and ultimately enjoyable experiences that create life long memories, my role at BGL is crucial to ensure the continuation of quality leisure time for all.

3 things I would take to a desert island:
Guitar
Fishing rod
Slippers

Ultimate dinner guest:
Robin Williams

Dream Fourball to play in or caddy for:
My Father
My Son, Joshua
Issac Newton
Billy Connolly

On leaving school I completed a year at Lucie Clayton College in PA/Secretarial Management which equipped me with my career life skills. I then entered the world of advertising with J Walter Thompson (JWT) one of the biggest advertising agencies in London (at that time) working with the Director responsible for the Kraft account together with Bob Payton, the larger than life American who later became the entrepreneur for the Chicago Rib Shack & Pizza Pie Factory restaurants. I then moved to BMW in Park Lane (walking distance from my flat) working for the Export Director, and among my responsibilities, attending and working at the Motor Show when it was held at Earls Court. During my annual two weeks’ holiday I was lucky enough to be accepted as one of the drivers during the Wimbledon Tournament chauffeuring the top tennis players, in particular the year that Virginia Wade became the Ladies champion. I worked at Wimbledon for two year’s running and count this as one of my many career highlights. On getting married I moved out of London and back to Surrey working for the CEO of Air Products UK until the birth of my twins in 1986. I started up my own secretarial business while my children were pre-school and during this time was asked to organise a conference in London for Halliburton with an invited audience of VIPs in biotechnology. I then gradually returned to full time work and accepted the appointment of PA to the MD of Burhill Estates Company in 1995. I am still here in 2018 working with the current CEO as his PA and Group HR Manager for BGL.

3 things I would take to a desert island:
Bear Grylls for his survival skills
My husband for his carpentry skills
A toothbrush

Ultimate dinner guest:
Jonathan Ross

Dream Fourball to play in or caddy for:
Hugh Jackman
Lewis Hamilton
Sheryl Sandberg
Nicole Kidman

Ever since I can remember I wanted to be creative. Cooking was my first love, my sanctuary and still my favourite thing to do. Within my polish roots stands the motto that “food is love” and this I hold dear. My career has grown across many sectors but the string between it all is the people. The undercurrent of success is trust, empathy and having a connection. Life can be serious but there is laughter in everything. “Make it happen”.

3 things I would take to a desert island:
Hammock
Chicken to lay eggs
Crate of fine Beaujolais from France

Ultimate dinner guest:
The legendary cook, Keith Floyd

Dream Fourball to play in or caddy for:
My Son, Jasper
Princess Diana
Tom Hardy
My Hero, my Dad

I started golf at the age of 11 and represented Scotland at Under-18 and Youth level before qualifying as a PGA Professional in 1991. Following several years as a PGA Professional working across England I joined Nevada Bob’s, initially as General Manager at their flagship stores at Bluewater and Lakeside before progressing to Area Manager. I continued my career on the high street with four years in Regional Management roles with Carphone Warehouse and JJB Sports where I was appointed in 2008 to the Head Buyer for the golf division, before joining Burhill Golf & Leisure in 2010. Similar to when playing golf my leisure time is spent mainly in the sand… on the North Norfolk coast with my wife Kate.

3 things I would take to a desert island:

My wife Kate

Helicopter
Helicopter pilot

Ultimate dinner guest:
Billy Connolly

Dream Fourball to play in or caddy for:
Sir Alex Ferguson
Ally McCoist
My Father

The majority of my career was with British Airways (20 years)  where I joined as a stewardess (we call them cabin crew now!) and I remained a flyer until I departed, where I had achieved the senior rank of CSD (Cabin Service Director) before I was 40. At BA, I did multiple placements and secondments including recruitment, training, safety services, fleet management, hence the love of HR started to develop. I was able to declare an outside interest and went part time at BA, then started to consult privately from around 2002. When I left BA in 2016 I consulted full time for approx. 18 months then was offered a position in Burton On Trent to revamp the HR and Customer Experience for a niche villa company, when that was completed I moved back south to join a hotel group where I was for 2 years over the Covid period. I joined BGL in 2021 to lead and develop the HR function &to continue putting people at the heart of all we do.

3 things I would take to a desert island:

As many books as I could carry

As much red wine as I could carry

As many photos of my family and friends as I could carry

Ultimate dinner guest:
Elvis Presley

Dream Fourball to play in or caddy for:

Micky Flanagan

Sir Alex Ferguson

Eric Bana

Jeff Stelling

When I was a child, every Sunday I could be found nose deep in the Sunday Times ‘Home’ supplement and from that moment on my parents always knew I destined to the property world. I went on to study it both at undergraduate level and postgraduate level, before deciding to change tack entirely and going into the City. Some 6 years into my City career, I knew, whilst having learnt some valuable lessons, I had made the wrong move and that my heart lay in property. I worked for a short period at Hampshire County Council before joining BGL as Property and Assets Surveyor, where I gained my Professional Membership to the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors. I was promoted to Property and Asset Manager in 2020 and have been responsible for all aspects of the company’s property assets since. My favourite aspect of the job and in the property world as a whole but particularly within BGL, is that no two days at the same. There is always a curve ball.

3 things I would take to a desert island:

Hatchet

Wilson (From Tom Hanks film, Castaway)

Pictures of my family

Ultimate dinner guest:
Professor Brian Cox

Dream Fourball to play in or caddy for:

HRH, Duke of Edinburgh

My Grandfather

Me

Amelia Earhart