The Quality at Heart Team

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

From left to right- Penny Hadland, Rob Gardiner, Elizabeth Halls, Simon Smith & Lucy Turner

 

 

 

 

 

Penny Hadland - Tourism Project  Manager

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lucy Turner - Quality at Heart Co-ordinator 

 

 

 

 

 

Simon Smith – Quality at Heart Executive

Simon was the first of the three Quality at Heart Executives to join the Team in December 2005.

Prior to this, Simon spent almost three years as Tourism Business Adviser with the Regional Centre for Tourism Business Support, providing help and advice to businesses in the Black Country and southern Staffordshire.

Before his role with the Regional Centre, Simon worked in local government for a number of years as Tourism Development and Marketing Officer for North Lincolnshire Council.

Simon also enjoys the theatre and speaks fluent French and German.

Rob Gardiner- Quality at Heart Executive

Prior to joining the Quality at Heart team, Rob was a Quality Assurance Assessor for eight years, with Quality in Tourism, Unicorn and Heart of England Tourist Board, assessing Accommodation providers, Narrow Boats, Hostels and Mobility to National Quality Assurance Standards. The major part of his career, prior to Quality Assessing, was spent managing small to medium size hotels for National companies. One of the highlights of his career was the development of a brand new sixty-bedroom hotel from a green field site for a businessman that was subsequently sold to a National chain.

As well as bringing with him a wealth of knowledge and experience in the serviced accommodation market, Rob also brings experience in other aspects of the tourism industry. He managed an Ice Rink, with the Christmas pantomime playing to over 8,000 people, and during his stewardship at the George Hotel, Huntingdon, ‘Shakespeare at the George Hotel’ was so successful it went from a bi-annual to a yearly event. He has also sat on various associations including being Chairman for a County Hoteliers Association.

Rob feels strongly that development is the key to success, which is why he believes the Quality at Heart scheme for businesses to improve their quality and gain recognition for excellence is essential for today’s modern businesses.

Elizabeth Halls – Quality at Heart Executive

As Castle Director at one of England’s most prestigious stately homes, Berkeley Castle in Gloucestershire, Elizabeth Halls carried out a total review of the whole organisation. Following a long period of decline in visitor numbers, she achieved an increase of nearly 40% in three years. Much of this success she attributes to establishing strong integration into wider tourism structures, participating fully in regional, national and international initiatives, and on a local level working inclusively with as many other tourism providers as possible. This gave her a good understanding of the workings of tourism and the benefits of strong strategic planning and support from the tourism agencies. Within the Castle she also improved marketing, quality, practice and performance and brought the staff through a period of enormous change with a new sense of confidence. She was also a Business Ambassador for Gloucestershire.

Prior to this she worked in arts management as General Manager of the English Symphony Orchestra, and over a long career has run, promoted or performed in events and festivals of many different sizes and in a huge variety of venues, from the elegance of St James’s Palace and Oxford’s Sheldonian Hall to town halls, river barges, pubs and clubs. She understands the part played by the arts in interpreting, enhancing and creating a “buzz” for tourism in any region.

Her background also includes marketing and management consultancy and most recently she set up her own business, Heritage, Arts and Leisure Services, offering consultancy and resources to organisations within those areas, particularly to smaller start-ups.