Paddy Crerar made HIT Scotland chair after Stephen Carter steps down

Crerar hotel group chief executive Paddy Crerar has been made chairman of the Hospitality Industry Trust (HIT), taking over from Stephen Carter who has stepped down after 12 years leading the organisation.

During his time at the helm of the Scotland based charity Carter, who is chairman of De Vere Cameron House on Loch Lomond, has helped raise more than £10m to support and encourage excellence in the industry.

He will now be replaced by Crerar, who has served as a trustee for the last 12 years. Crerar founded the Crerar hotel group in 2006 and is a non-executive director at VisitScotland.

The position of deputy chair is being taken up by Angela Vickers, managing director of Apex Hotels. Ruaridh McDonald sales and marketing director of McDonald Hotels and Bernard Murphy, general manager of The Gleneagles Hotel are also joining the board.

Commenting on his retirement as chairman, Carter said: "When I first became involved in HIT hospitality wasn't considered an attractive industry to work in and given what it has to offer and its huge contribution to the Scottish economy, this was a sad state of affairs. With some very notable exceptions, Scottish hospitality didn't enjoy a great reputation and that was mainly because the industry had a pretty poor perception of itself.

"The transformation since then has been astounding and HIT has played no small part in this. By sending our scholars to centres of excellence such as the Jumeirah International properties in Dubai and The Disney Institute in Orlando and to international hospitality schools like Lausanne and Cornell, we have engendered pride in the industry and developed in the scholars, an aspiration to achieve excellence, which is shared with all of their colleagues when they return home."

Crerar added: "With the winning years ahead; 2014 Homecoming , the Commonwealth Games, Ryder Cup and many more great hospitality industry events, this is the most exciting time to be working in Scottish hospitality. It's a great chance for us, the industry, to practically demonstrate how much Stephen and HIT have achieved over the years."

The Hot Scots Power 40: Stephen Carter, Cameron House on Loch Lomond >>