We caught up with Graeme to learn more about his career journey, priorities, and what excites him most about the role.
Can you briefly outline your career journey to date?
I’ve spent over 35 years working across the hotel and travel industry, building a career that combines operational leadership with strong commercial and financial expertise. I began in front-line reservation roles before progressing into management positions within central reservations, tour operations and customer sales centres.
Over time, I transitioned into finance and reporting, most recently as Group Finance Analyst at De Vere, where I spent 14 years leading commercial reporting, forecasting and systems development across a multi-site hotel portfolio. That breadth of experience, from operations to finance, gives me a well rounded perspective that I’m looking forward to bringing to Focus Hotels.
What attracted you to join Focus Hotels?
Focus Hotels’ growth ambitions and vision made it a genuinely exciting opportunity. The chance to join a forward-thinking organisation where I can contribute to strengthening financial systems and reporting capabilities while supporting continued expansion was something I couldn’t pass up. It felt like the right moment to bring my experience to a business with real momentum behind it.
What experience from previous roles will be most valuable in your new position?
My experience in developing and implementing reporting systems, alongside leading forecasting and budgeting processes across multiple properties, will be particularly relevant. I’ve worked extensively with finance and operational teams to deliver real-time insights, improve data quality and support strategic decision-making.
In addition, my background in integrating systems following acquisitions and driving process standardisation across multi-site portfolios will be valuable as Focus Hotels continues to grow.
What are your immediate focus areas for the next few months?
My initial focus has been on getting under the skin of the existing systems and processes, understanding what’s working well and where there are opportunities to improve. Alongside that, I’ve been delivering new processes and rebuilding the reporting database, laying the groundwork for more robust and reliable financial reporting across the business.
What is your vision for your role and the department?
My vision is to create a best-in-class financial reporting system that delivers accurate, timely and insightful information to support decision making at all levels of the business. This includes leveraging technology to move towards more automated, real-time reporting, improving data integration across systems, and embedding a strong culture of commercial awareness throughout the organisation.
Ultimately, great financial reporting shouldn’t just be about numbers, it should tell a story that helps the business make better decisions and seize the right opportunities.
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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.
Focus Hotels makes decisions through the lens of owner value, prioritising asset protection, performance, and risk management.
