Geoff Booth to step down from head of School of Hospitality at Westminster Kingsway College
Geoff Booth is stepping down as centre director for the School of Hospitality and Culinary Arts at Westminster Kingsway College, London, after playing a central role growing and improving the establishment over 12 years.
He will leave the college at the end of the academic year after undergoing what he described as "an incredible journey" to pursue new projects and concentrate on his chairmanship of the Professional Association for Catering Education (PACE).
His key achievements have included the development of a number of realistic work environments, including the student Atrium cafe, the Vincent Rooms restaurant and the building of a banqueting trade operated by staff and students. He has also introduced the Peter Jones Enterprise Academy and modernised the college's higher education offer.
In recognition of the improvements to the training improvements at Westminster Kingsway, the college was recently awarded with the Queen's Award for Further and Higher Education.
Andy Wilson, principal at Westminster Kingsway College and chief executive designate of City & Islington and Westminster Kingsway Colleges Group (CLCG), said that Booth had helped establish the college "at the forefront of training for the hospitality sector in London, the UK and internationally".
He continued: "Geoff has worked tirelessly on behalf of the college and, more widely, across hospitality training, to ensure we continue to provide what generations of recruits need to succeed in the industry and employers with the skilled workforce required to sustain their business".
Booth added: "I am proud to have played a part in growing this great institution. The School of Hospitality & Business Enterprise is now poised to benefit from the stunning refurbishment of the centre, and the experience and dedication of the people striving within it."
Internationally, Booth has established curriculum links with colleges in Paris, Washington and Mexico, while in the UK he has created bespoke training partnerships with the Savoy hotel, Hilton Worldwide, AccorHotels, Hyatt, Compass, BaxterStorey, Harbour & Jones and D&D restaurants. He has also worked closely with the Royal Academy of Culinary Arts, the Academy of Food and Wine Service, the Institute of Hospitality and the British Institute of Innkeepers.
The School of Hospitality and Culinary Arts will continue to be managed by Gary Hunter, head of faculty for hospitality and culinary arts. Hunter said: "I have worked closely with Geoff for the hospitality team throughout his tenure at Westminster Kingsway College. We are all sorry to see him leave the corporation but he will always be part of our inspiring family. Geoff entrusts a formidable legacy, which I will continue to sustain and develop for the benefit of our alumni, future students and the hospitality industry."
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