Acorn winners 2016: Tiffany Monsees, 28
Operations manager, Premier Inn, Portsmouth, Whitbread
Nominated by Mark Buxton, cluster general manager, Premier Inn, Whitbread
Proudest moment "Opening a successful 101-bedroom hotel with a 94-cover restaurant in Winchester, where I was able to help 30 unemployed individuals back into work and watch them grow as a team and individually."
Greatest inspiration "The ability to change people's lives and develop individuals to reach for their ambitions."
Ambition "To continue my masters degree in a multi-site management role and to open an international hotel in Germany in the next two years, followed by being promoted to a multi-site management role within five years."
There is very little doubt that Tiffany Monsees will fulfil her ambitions. Already, she has delivered one of Premier Inn's most successful openings with the 101-bedroom Winchester property. It generated £550,000 over budgeted sales, sold 3,800 more rooms, served 14,500 more meals and returned £440,000 more profit.
She also demonstrated impressive courage and commitment by recruiting 40 people, of whom 29 were unemployed and none had previous hospitality experience. But she emerged with the lowest team turnover for a new opening of 18.4% for the year.
Monsees started with Premier Inn in June 2010 as a waitress after graduating from university. She then moved on to managerial positions. But what stands out about Monsees is how she inspires and develops talent. She drove up team engagement scores at Christchurch Highcliffe from 76% to 95% in six months, for example.
She has supported 10 apprentices over the past three years and her peers and team describe her as "very inspirational", "someone who believed in me" and one even said "she has changed my life".
Monsees has invested in learning German as Premier Inn gears up for its expansion there. She has won the company's Exceptional Contributor Award for the south east region three times.
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