New BII chairman promises to make it "more relevant and respected"
The new chairman of the British Institute of Innkeeping (BII) Anthony Pender has promised to make the organisation more "relevant and respected" after admitting that it had "lost its way".
Pender was selected for the chairman role in November last year, and outlined his future plans in the job in his first official interview, with BIIBusiness magazine.
He said: "The BII is still respected, but I don't think people feel it's relevant to them at the moment. Don't just join the BII, but take a look at what we are doing, then consider what membership can bring you. It's really important that we bring young members on board and give them the tools to progress their careers."
He added that the BII should be seen as an organisation that can help people realise their career aspirations and nurture future business leaders.
The BII is a charity and the licensed retail sector's professional body. It seeks to improve standards of professionalism, encourage people to join the industry and help develop people's careers.
Pender is also founder and managing director at the five-site Yummy Pub Company, and vice chairman of the Perceptions Group, which helps to promote the pub sector as a career option.
He took over from previous chairman Bernard Brindley, who passed away suddenly aged 63 in April 2014. Tom Richardson acted as interim chairman from May to November.
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