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The Hospitality big HITter
With a career spanning three decades, including a remarkably successful tenure at the helm of the award-winning Fairmont St Andrews, Stephen Carter OBE is not a man for whom the term ‘hard work' is taken lightly.
As Chairman of the Hospitality Industry Trust (HIT Scotland) and having recently started in one of the sector's most challenging posts as Operations Director for De Vere Hotels, he is as eager to reinvent the industry's image as he is to develop the De Vere brand.
Jo Skailes meets the man who's at the forefront of industry change, and whose spare time is spent putting career-development firmly back onto the hospitality agenda…
Following his recent OBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours List for his services to the Scottish hospitality industry, Stephen Carter is now more determined than ever to extol the virtues of furthering youngsters' careers in the sector. If ever any proof was needed to show what hard work and dedication can bring to those working in hospitality, Stephen is it.
Having held senior posts at Stakis, Queen's Moat House Hotels, Edinburgh's Caledonian Hotel and Holiday Inns (opening the first in Scotland!), he took on his new role of Operations Director at the end of last year.
In charge of their luxury hotels such as Cameron House on the shores of Loch Lomond, and the De Vere Grand, Brighton, Stephen is looking at the long-term development of the luxury hotel company, which was recently taken over by the Alternative Hotel Group.
While he operated the Fairmont St Andrews very much as a single hotel, despite it being part of a small group, Stephen was looking forward to returning to a multi-management role. "When I accepted this job with De Vere, I knew it was a huge opportunity in terms of what they wanted to do with their development, and I'm really excited about operating on a much bigger scale again. I want to put the 'hospitality' back into the industry; I want to achieve a quality of service that just isn't really around as much as it used to be."
Despite travelling throughout the UK on a weekly basis to oversee the running of the Group's Deluxe properties, Stephen is currently spending much of his time at De Vere Cameron House, the flagship hotel which is currently undergoing a multi-million-pound refurbishment under new General Manager, Philip Mahoney.
And all the while, Stephen is keeping close eye on the development of HIT Scotland, the charity set up to fund bursaries and scholarships for talented, ambitious people in the hospitality industry – and he's proud of the progress they have made in the last decade:
"HIT has done some really amazing things, including starting the annual Emerging Talent Conference which is now in its fourth year. "We give people the opportunity to work in these world-renowned hotels. The individuals have to take the initiative in applying for a scholarship and it's an excellent way of motivating them."
The Emerging Talent conference, held in February at the Radisson SAS in Glasgow, brought together more than 400 leaders and hospitality students to discuss the different values and aspirations among young people in hospitality.
"We gave out 78 scholarships that provide learning opportunities to up-and-coming stars of the future, and now these youngsters have the chance to do something spectacular in their own industry, from Texas and Dubai to Lausanne and Disney. Not many other industries offer an incentive like that."
However, while he has spent years encouraging and inspiring young people who are new to the hospitality business, Stephen acknowledges that it can be, like any other career, hard work at times, and a pretty thankless job for those don't love it:
"New recruits must have an eye for detail and good people skills in terms of management and customers. When they do, it can be very satisfying to witness their knowledge and confidence developing over time."
It is perhaps not surprising that many people regard Stephen as a mentor, as someone who has taken it upon himself to create and develop new talent. He may be modestly proud of his own success but he is outwardly far more excited about the careers of those who have worked with him in the past. Indeed, previous protégés include Robert Cook, Chief Executive of the Malmaison and Hotel du Vin groups, and Lynn Hood, Operations Director at City Inns.
"It is a terrific industry that has allowed me to see the world and has given me great satisfaction in terms of working with people. I have met all sorts of different personalities over the years and I would recommend the profession to anyone willing to work hard for great rewards. I just hope that my experiences over the years have helped others to want to work in the industry and to develop their careers to the full. It's great to see people arrive where they want to be - as long, of course, as they keep me in a job once they get there!"
With a decorated past, a bright future with De Vere and new honour to his name, Stephen is rightfully considered an ambassador for the hospitality industry – and those in his charge have ample reason to believe their careers are in good hands.
This article has been edited from its original version. For the complete feature and to view pictures, please see Catering in Scotland magazine July/August 2007.
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