Robert Morley has been promoted to group executive chef at London Inns Group (incorporating Edinburgh Inns), which has its headquarters in Maidstone, Kent. In his new role, he will take charge of menu development across the 365-strong portfolio, and is also establishing a chef development scheme for school leavers. He was previously head chef at the George hotel, Colchester, Essex, owned by London Inns.
Chris Piper is the new regional managing director for the Wales, central and eastern division of contract caterer Sodexho. He has been promoted from his role as UK sales director for support services, having been with the company for 22 years.
The York Arms in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, has appointed John Tullett general manager. The restaurant with rooms has three AA rosettes and a Michelin star. Tullett joins from the Black Swan hotel, also in Harrogate, where he was food and beverage manager.
Robert Plumb, director of food service consultancy GWP, has taken over from Rosemary Osborne, senior associate at management and design company Cini-Little, as chairman of the Foodservice Consultants Society International UK. The body represents food service design and management consultants in the UK.
Alex Irving, formerly the general manager of hospitality, events and catering at Ipswich Town Football Club, has joined Cambridge-based Robert Read Associates as a food service consultant.
Restaurant chain Frankie & Benny's continues its expansion with two new managerial appointments. Stephen Philips has become general manager of the new restaurant that opened at Stevenage Leisure Park, Hertfordshire, at the end of last month. He was previously general manager of Café Rouge, St Albans, Hertfordshire. And Catherine Barton, a 23-year-old geography graduate, has taken over general management at the chain's second Edinburgh branch, at the Omni leisure complex on Leith Street.
Troldahl, the refrigeration, air conditioning and catering contractor, has appointed Ed Williams project manager for refrigeration and air conditioning. He joins the Gateshead, Northumberland, company from air-conditioning company Denco, where he was area sales manager, based in Runcorn, Cheshire.
The Catering Partnership, based in Blaby, Leicestershire, has appointed Andrew Tilbrook finance and human resources director. Before joining the independent contract caterer, he was finance director with Oakley Young Associates, a manufacturing design company in the same area.
Supporting its expansion plans, Manchester brewer Hydes has appointed Luke Milner retail director. He takes on responsibility for the company's 39 managed houses and 31 tenancies throughout the North-west of England. He will also oversee new acquisitions, catering development and staff training for the business. He was previously operations executive, food and accommodation, for pub company Eldridge Pope in Dorchester, Dorset.
Stephen Gourmand has left his job as assistant manager at the Connaught hotel in London to work in the Caribbean as rooms division manager at the Anse Chastanet Resort on St Lucia.
The management of Ramada Jarvis's Manchester Piccadilly hotel has been entrusted to Chris Wayne-Wills, who has joined as general manager. Previously general manager at the Ramada Jarvis hotel in Livingston, Midlothian, he oversaw and expanded its conferencing business by 54% year-on-year.
Making company history, Michael Cottan has become general manager of Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts' first property in Australia. At the start of this month, the ANA Harbour Grand Hotel Sydney was rebranded as the Shangri-La hotel, Sydney. Cottan joined from the company's Kuala Lumpur hotel, where he held the same position and oversaw its renovation, as well as looking after Shangri-La's other Malaysian properties.
- Please send your On the move stories to chris.druce@rbi.co.uk, giving start date, details of the appointee's previous job and, if possible, a head-and-shoulders photograph.