Hospitality job moves: Karina Elias, Mario Perera, David Taylor and more

It’s been another busy month in the hospitality industry, we people taking on new roles across restaurants, hotels and foodservice. We round-up some of the appointments to watch.

 

New hotel manager for Corinthia London

The luxury London property has appointed Karina Elias (above) as its new hotel manager. Previously F&B director at JW Marriott Grosvenor House London, she has also held positions at the Langham, London and the Savoy. Elias will join the Corinthia’s executive committee to lead operations and guest experience.

 

New executive chef at Jumeriah Carlton Tower

 

Mario Perera has joined the Jumeirah Carlton Tower hotel in London as its new executive chef. He joins the Knightsbridge hotel after eight years at the Dorchester, where he held the same role and led a team of 80 chefs across multiple F&B outlets. He will be responsible for all culinary operations at the 186-room Jumeriah hotel, which features the Chinoiserie restaurant, ballroom, spa, and function rooms.

 

Amanda Kay leaves Amplify Guest Services…

 

Amanda Kay has announced her departure from front of house guest service brand Amplify after three years in the business as founder and managing director. She described her time at Amplify, which launched within Genuine Dining Group in 2022, as the “most incredible chapter”. Kay is now self-employed and has not yet announced her next move.

 

…as Daniel Cousin steps in

 

Daniel Cousin has been appointed operations director at Amplify Guest Services following Kay’s departure. He joins from Savills, where he led the commercial front of house team, and has worked at luxury fashion brands Chanel, Louis Vuitton and Christian Dior. Cousin will lead Amplify in its next phase of growth in partnership with Genuine Dining.

 

New MD for Raffles London at the OWO

 

Olivier Thomas has joined the luxury Raffles London at the OWO hotel in London as managing director and will start his role from 3 November. He joins from Hôtel de Paris Monte-Carlo in Monaco, where he was general manager. Thomas takes over from Philippe Leboef, who launched the 120-room hotel in 2023 but left in June to take over as chief executive of the Dorchester Collection. 

 

Kerb names new head of sales

 

Bethany Dare, former head of planning at Moving Venue Caterers, has been appointed head of sales at Kerb Events. Dare spent six years at Moving Venue, where she helped deliver large-scale projects such as the British Grand Prix and Farnborough Airshow. She started her new role on 4 November as the Kerb team looks to bring more street food operators into venues across London and the UK.

 

New chef at Lima

 

Diego Recarte has been named head chef at Michelin-recommended restaurant Lima in London. The Peruvian-born chef has worked in kitchens worldwide including three-Michelin-starred Le Calandre in Italy and Enigma and Pakta in Barcelona. He launched a new menu at the Peruvian restaurant in early October.

 

BaxterStorey promotes new head of food UK

 

BaxterStorey has promoted Dan Wilson to head of food UK. Wilson, who won the Chef of the Year award at the 2025 Foodservice Cateys, was previously responsible for 300 kitchens in London. His new role will see him support BaxterStorey chefs across the UK as the caterer launches a three-year sustainable nutrition campaign.

 

Waldorf Astoria London Admiralty Arch reveals senior leadership team

 

The Waldorf Astoria London Admiralty Arch hotel has announced a series of senior appointments ahead of its 2026 opening. Mathilde Brallet has been named commercial director. She joins the luxury hotel from Conrad London St James and began her career in Hilton’s management programme in Paris and Glasgow.

 

Kane Savage has been appointed director of sales after spending a decade working in luxury hospitality across companies including Langham Hotels & Resorts.

 

Carly Gill has joined as HR director from a role as cluster HR manager for various Hilton properties across London.

 

Finally, Marie-Charlotte Gauter has been named as the hotel’s director of operations. The 2023 Acorn Award winner previously ran operations at Hotel Café Royal and completed an internship at Dinex Group in New York, which is run by Daniel Boulud, chef partner for Waldorf Astoria London Admiralty Arch.

 

New chair appointed at Levy

 

Richard Thompson has been appointed chair of Levy UK + Ireland, the sports and entertainment arm of Compass Group. He takes on the newly created role after a long tenure as chair of Surrey County Cricket Club and England and Wales Cricket Board. Outside of sport, he was also the global chair of M&C Saatchi Sports & Entertainment, where he managed acts such as Jamiroquai and Geri Halliwell. Thompson said he would work to improve Levy’s profile within the sport and entertainment industries.

 

Hand Picked Hotels brings in new GMs

 

Hand Picked Hotels has named James Norman (left) as general manager at the four-AA-red-star Nutfield Priory Hotel and Spa in Surrey. He most recently led food and beverage operations at the Ritz Carlton Hotel Arts in Barcelona, where he oversaw a multimillion-dollar operation, Michelin-starred restaurants and a major renovation.

 

Jean-Paul Wyburn (right) has been named general manager at the Bailbrook House country house hotel, another Hand Picked Hotel property, in Bath. He joins from a role as interim general manager at the Leonardo Royal Hotel Oxford. At Bailbrook House he will work to improve the guest journey and boost the hotel’s reputation as a leisure, wedding and corporate venue.

 

Leadership changes at Kew Green Hotels

 

David Taylor has been appointed chief executive of Kew Green Hotels, taking over from interim chief executive James Kim. Since 13 October, Taylor has been managing the international hotel management company’s portfolio of more than 50 hotels across the UK, which features brands such as Holiday Inn, Crowne Plaza, Voco and Courtyard by Marriott.

 

Hakkasan names new CEO

 

Hakkasan Group has named Yavuz Pehlivanlar as its new chief executive as it eyes further growth worldwide. Pehlivanlar was previously chief operating officer at Caprice Holdings, parent company of Sexy Fish and Scott’s Mayfair, and has worked in luxury hospitality for more than 20 years. He joins amid a restructure of Hakkasan, which will see it look to grow its brands worldwide.