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 Pinot Noir 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
The Silver Fox that is Phillip Schofield

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 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 that is, with my wife Kate and dog Lily

3 things I would take to a desert island:
Helicopter
Helicopter pilot
My dog Lily (I could never go to the beach without her)

Ultimate dinner guest:
Kylie Minogue (I should be so lucky, lucky, lucky, lucky!)

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

I began my career at the age of 19. I always knew that working in a fun environment & earning good money was my motivator. My career has progressed from fitness through to golf and over the years I have managed multiple sales teams at a group level. My motto is and has always been “thoughts become things”.

3 things I would take to a desert island:
Chocolate Cookies
Lilo
Matches

Ultimate dinner guest:
Channing Tatum

Dream Fourball to play in or caddy for:
Alan Sugar
Piers Morgan
My Son, Harry Eyton
Beyoncé

Having come from an estate management and farming background, I have managed to combine estate and asset management with development for many years. I have run my own practice and peripheral businesses too. I live in West Sussex where I am keen to see my garden improve. What I like most is making real those schemes that sceptics say cannot be done, or will fail in the planning process. The scheme I am most proud of is one of these; the recent ASDA store and petrol station in Selsey, all done at a budget everyone said wouldn’t work. This was a well-executed scheme which has visibly enhanced the facilities and economy to the whole town. Prospects and trade have improved as a result, in a place that had been substantially forgotten. I have walked Camino Santiago by two different routes, and have learned to mutter something vaguely comprehensible in 8 different languages.

3 things I would take to a desert island:
My saxophone
The works of Yuval Harari
Some assorted seeds

Ultimate dinner guest:
Vladimir Putin

Dream Fourball to play in or caddy for:
Jack Douglas
James Roberson Justice
Terry-Thomas
Oliver Reed