First graduates at Forte school

Six managers from the five-star Lowry hotel in Manchester have become the first graduates of the Rocco Forte Hotels corporate business school.

MURRAY THOMSON, director of marketing and business development at the Lowry, received a postgraduate diploma in management studies. Hotel general manager JOHN PHILIPSON completed a masters degree in management. Resident manager JASON HARDING, UK reservations manager ALISON GREY, human resources director CHRISTINE GOLDSMITH and training manager ALISON McCALLUM achieved postgraduate diplomas in learning and development.

The qualifications were gained by working on a project-based programme that concentrated on the creation of a UK reservations office at the hotel.

With the reservations office in place, customers can now call one central point to make a booking at any of the UK's three Rocco Forte hotels. Group discounts and special offers could be added to the system later.

The success of the business school programme means the pilot scheme will be extended to the other two hotels.