Jan brings a practical, hands-on approach to people strategy, and her appointment marks an important step forward in how we continue to develop and support our teams. With over 25 years’ experience in hospitality, she began her career in bar and restaurant operations before progressing into General Manager roles with a strong focus on delivery and service. From there, she moved into senior positions, including Catering Development Manager and Learning & Development Manager, before stepping into HR leadership.
Her experience spans large, complex hospitality businesses, where she has supported multi-site operations, developed scalable frameworks, built accredited training programmes, and helped create clear career pathways. Her background also includes everything from operational strategy and menu development through to policy creation and Capex management, giving her a well-rounded understanding of how people and operations work best together.
In her role with us, Jan will focus on strengthening our HR and Learning & Development frameworks, embedding consistent processes, and supporting our teams with practical, people-first solutions that make a real difference day to day.
Jan says, ‘The opportunity with Focus Hotels came at the right time for me. While I wasn’t actively looking, it genuinely felt like the right fit, both professionally and personally. I realised I missed hospitality, the pace, the people, and the challenge, and Focus felt like a place where I could make a meaningful impact within a business that clearly values its people, development, and delivering high standards across its hotels.
What excites me most is the opportunity to make a real difference. Hospitality is fast-paced and ever-changing, and that’s something I’ve always thrived on. I’m particularly passionate about developing people and seeing individuals grow beyond what they thought possible. Some of the most rewarding moments in my career have been seeing team members progress into senior leadership roles, including HODs, Duty Managers, Operations Managers, General Managers, Managing Directors and even CEO positions, which is something I’m incredibly proud of.
Being able to bring that same energy and support to Focus Hotels is what really motivates me. My focus now is on building strong relationships across the hotels and really understanding the business and its people. From there, I’ll be supporting the team in strengthening consistency across HR processes, key people priorities, and identifying opportunities to enhance development pathways and engagement.’
Here at Focus Hotels Management, we make decisions through the lens of owner value, prioritising asset protection, performance, and risk management, ensuring every action supports long-term sustainability and return.
Recent new appointments form part of our wider strategy to strengthen our central support model, ensuring every hotel in our portfolio is underpinned by the right people, processes, and performance frameworks.
With a wealth of experience in hotels and hospitality management, Focus Hotels is dedicated to providing industry-leading expertise to some of the most celebrated hospitality brands.
