Crerar Hotels Group has made new appointments in two senior ‘people’ positions intended to take charge of the company’s recruitment, training and staff culture.
The AA Small Hotel Group of the Year has appointed Claire Johnston as its People Director to deliver on a human resources remit, driving recruitment and bolstering employee relations.
Claire was previously regional human resources manager with the Cairn Hotel Group looking after a number of multi-branded properties in both Scotland and the North of England. She has also worked for top hospitality venues like Auchrannie, the Manorview Group and The Roxburghe Hotel.
The role of Director of Learning and Development, a brand-new post within the company, has been given to Laura Dunphy, who for the past three years has worked at Cameron House as its Head of Learning and Development, playing an instrumental part in the resort achieving a five-star status from the AA.
In 2022, Laura herself achieved The Caterer Acorn Award which recognised the top 30 most talented hospitality leaders under the age of 30.
She will now oversee and expand the Crerar Hotels Academy apprenticeship programmes, graduate management programme and redefine induction and training throughout all properties.
CEO of Crerar Hotels Group, Chris Wayne-Wills, said: “It’s been an exciting start to the year, watching our teams grow and I’m thrilled that we’ve now also recruited two experts in their field to boost our People function. These senior appointments bolster our team significantly and firms up our commitment to our people.
“Claire and Laura are both welcome additions to Crerar Hotels Group, and I look forward to working with them to breathe fresh life into this part of the business with the focus on recruitment and early talent programmes, training and culture.
“Their combined expertise and experience will help us continue to grow throughout 2024 and I look forward to watching their contributions as we progress throughout the year.”
Crerar’s new People team is also currently recruiting for a Talent Acquisition Executive with ‘a passion for hospitality and experience in recruiting talent’ to support the Group.
