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John Guthrie
The Education and Training Award, now in its second year, is open to people from the world of business, as well as those working in education.
This year's winner was judged to have demonstrated an innovative approach to continuous learning in hospitality. He developed strong links with industry and training initiatives that added real value, and demonstrated an ability to adapt to the changing needs of the market.
Last year's inaugural winner, David Foskett, one of this year's judges, said at the start of the judging session: "I was looking for someone I felt had helped move the subject area on, in line with current Government policy. Many people in the industry moan about the colleges - but why don't they then get in there and work to change things?"
This year's winner has risen to this challenge, and in a short period of time has begun to tackle this most politicised of areas. He is John Guthrie, head of management development at Hilton International. He's the man behind Hilton University - an employee e-learning initiative he set up in February 2002 after moving from a role heading human resources. As Wolfgang Neumann, president
UK and
Ireland at Hilton International said: "He put learning at the heart of Hilton's business plan."
David Foskett was clearly impressed: "It's as though he has read the higher education White Paper and then put it into practice. This is exactly what the government is trying to achieve. The University really does represent life-long and integrated learning."
Hilton University helps 80,000 employees in more than 70 countries develop their careers. Its 10 million users a year can learn English (if it's not their mother tongue) and take training modules divided by operational areas and seniority, making sure the structure is clear and relevant to them. This process can be undertaken individually or within employee teams
Tim Cooke, previously head of the school of hospitality at
Westminster Kingsway College, said: "I'm impressed by how recent this all is. This is the sort of thing people should be doing. He's pushing the boundaries of education from the industry side."