Jane Haselden is Human Resources Manager at DoubleTree by Hilton Manchester Airport, where she leads people strategy across recruitment, engagement, training, and employee relations in a high-volume, operationally demanding hotel environment

 With over 20 years’ experience in UK hospitality, Jane has progressed through senior operational leadership roles, including General Manager positions with Vine Hotels, Aspen Hotels, Holiday Inn, Atlas Hotels, and Starboard Hotels.

Having spent much of her career on the front line, Jane brings a practical, people-first perspective on what really drives attraction, engagement, and retention in hospitality teams. In this session, Jane will share real-world insights on building strong teams, improving onboarding and development, and creating workplace cultures that support both performance and long-term retention.

Ronald George is General Manager at The Imperial Hotel, with over 20 years’ experience leading hotel teams across major hospitality brands including Hilton, IHG, Aimbridge, and Marriott. Having progressed through Food & Beverage and Operations into senior leadership roles, he brings a practical, on-the-ground understanding of recruitment, engagement, and retention in busy hotel environments.

In this session, Ronald shares real-world insights from the front line on what helps build stable teams, improve morale, and create workplaces where people want to stay and grow.

Sam Brown is Co-Founder of Candid Hospitality, an anonymous hiring platform designed specifically for the hospitality sector. With over a decade of experience delivering digital solutions to UK hospitality businesses, Sam brings a deep understanding of the challenges operators face when trying to attract and retain the right people in a competitive market.

Having previously built and exited two companies, Sam launched Candid Hospitality in 2024 with a mission to improve how hospitality recruitment works by matching candidates to roles based on what truly matters – culture, competencies, and compensation. In this session, Sam will share insights into how anonymous, bias-free hiring can help hotels uncover hidden talent, reach passive candidates, and create fairer, more effective recruitment processes that lead to stronger, more stable teams.

Chris is CEO and Co-Founder of limber, a shift-working marketplace connecting hospitality venues with flexible, on-demand staff. With nearly a decade of experience building tech solutions for hospitality recruitment, Chris works closely with operators to help them fill shifts faster, access new talent pools, and offer the flexibility today’s workforce expects.

In this session, Chris will share insights into how shift-working models are changing the hospitality employment landscape, what modern workers really want from employers, and how hotels can use flexible staffing approaches to attract and retain talent without sacrificing quality or consistency.

Tom Stephenson is Head of Employability at Springboard, the UK charity focused on futureproofing the talent pipeline for hospitality, leisure, and tourism. He leads employability programmes across the UK, working with employers and partners to help young people and those facing barriers into work access skills, training, and sustainable careers in hospitality.

With a background in employability, communications, and project delivery, Tom brings practical insight into how businesses can connect with emerging talent and build stronger pathways into the industry. In this session, Tom will share perspectives on attracting the next generation into hospitality and creating more inclusive, accessible routes into long-term careers.

Thomas Feeney is Marketing Manager at Snapfix, working closely with hospitality teams to understand the day-to-day challenges they face and how operational tools can support better working environments. He regularly collaborates with hoteliers and industry partners to highlight practical solutions that improve team experience and operational efficiency.

In this session, Thomas will guide and moderate the conversation, drawing out practical insights from the speakers and helping translate discussion into clear, actionable takeaways for hospitality leaders.