Gregg Hollister
Age: 23
Position: House manager, the Mitre Pub, Southampton, on behalf of Greene King Pub Company
Career to date...
Hollister cut his teeth in the pub trade as a part-time barman at a Greene King pub in Southampton while still a student. Following some in-house training he was promoted to key holding supervisor. After graduating he spent a year setting up his own music business, but then moved back to Greene King full-time and took up a number of relief management positions in the South before being given management of the site he started out at - the Mitre pub in Southampton - on Christmas Eve 2005.
Why is he a winner?
Hollister has made excellent use of his degree in business management and music at Greene King and his employers were quick to recognise and reward his business ethos, customer focus and penchant for organising effective promotions.
A talented musician himself, Hollister immediately threw himself into organising entertainment at the Mitre and put together a number of events and charity nights that brought in additional customers and money - both for the company and for the charities it supports - and helped to generate publicity for the site, which has a gross annual turnover of over £1m.
As manager of the site Hollister has continued to turn around what was an underperforming business that traded below sales targets. Within two months of taking charge, he revolutionised both front and back of house, introducing new measures such as a new stock-control programme, reviewing wage scales and outsourcing functions such as cleaning and security.
In addition to his day-to-day role, Hollister is actively involved in recruiting new assistant managers. He also manages the company's work with charitable organisation The Lucie Blackman Trust and is part of a managers' forum.