Stuart Johnson elected chairman of Master Innholders

Stuart Johnson has been elected as the new chairman of the Master Innholders. Johnson has been a Master Innholder since 1995 and has served on the executive committee for four years.

He is the general manager of Rocco Forte's Brown's hotel in Mayfair, London. He is also an active member of several other industry bodies, including Springboard and the Academy of Culinary Arts, and is chairman of the West One Hoteliers and a Fellow of the Institute of Hospitality.

Dedicated to recruiting more young people into the industry, Johnson pioneered the Savoy Society Mentoring Scheme of which he is chairman and is a visiting lecturer at several catering universities and colleges.

He spent a large part of his career with the Savoy Group, starting as an apprentice in the kitchens of the Savoy at the age of 17. Following this, he held management positions at Claridge's and the Connaught before becoming the youngest manager of the Savoy at 32 and then general manager of Cliveden.

He joined Rocco Forte's Brown's hotel in 2005 where he oversaw the £25m refurbishment and reopening of this legendary hotel