We Are

 Hartstone Rochette

If you’d told me 30 years ago, when I first started working in hospitality, that I’d one day be travelling the globe recruiting senior executives for the finest luxury hotels I’d never have believed it. After finishing my Hospitality Management Diploma I joined Four Seasons, but a few years in realised it was the thrill of finding great talent and watching people grow that excited me most. Hospitality recruitment was where I belonged, and after 25 years in some of the leading agencies, I set up my own and partnered with Guillaume.

These days I focus on finding C-Suite executives, MDs, GMs and VPs for some of the best hotels in the world, and take pride in having been able to share my knowledge by mentoring Oxford Brookes University undergraduates for over a decade. When I’m not matching candidates with vacancies I enjoy time with family and friends, entertaining, travel, music and pilates. My advice is always ‘live life to the full, love what you do and never have any regrets!’

After working in France in sales and in London in hotels and restaurants, I rapidly started a career in hospitality recruitment in 1983. Aged 19, I was at the right place at the right time as London was gearing up to become one of the world’s finest dining capitals.

This fast-paced, diverse, and exciting food and beverage evolution made me who I am today. We’re able to apply the depth of knowledge and valuable insights gleaned from the greatest and most diverse restaurant markets on earth as we rapidly placed talents the world over.

We take pride in supporting both investors, owner and companies’ expansion and people’s careers. Successfully placing international hospitality C-suite and management is our game!

People is at the heart of everything we do, it defines us!

If there’s a better sector to work in than F&B and Hotels I don’t know what it is. Heading straight to Hotel and Catering school in 1993 seemed like destiny at the time, and in many ways it set me on the right path. The ensuing decade was a whirlwind of international assigments at 4 and 5 star Starwood and Marriot hotels, working in the UK, China and Georgia. Returning to France in 2005, I made the move into recruitment, finding candidates from across the globe, and climbing the ranks at a major Paris firm. Joining Eureka in 2014 as a Senior Consultant, I was appointed Managing Director and Partner in 2017.

Helping clients and candidates find each other inspires me most…after all, someone’s CV and experience is only half the story. Matching personality types, management styles and cultural fit are just as important. F&B roles, chefs, hotel management, senior management positions, GMs, and heads of departments are the roles I focus on. My personal passions are exploring the world to discover new countries, enjoying food and wine, and spending time with family and friends. If there’s an 80s pop quiz happening, you probably want me on your team too (just saying). I’m also a great believer in one of Oscar Wilde’s great quotes ‘be yourself, everyone else is already taken’.

I’ve been in the hospitality leisure industry, in all its shapes and forms (restaurants, pubs, hotels, transport hubs) for what seems like a lifetime…and the passing decades have been a pleasure. Working principally in the UK, as well as central and Eastern Europe, I’ve held senior managerial and strategic roles for companies like Mitchells and Butlers and Rosinter Restaurants, but these days focus on board level and advisory positions. Currently, I serve as a Non-Executive Director and Investor for Farmer J, Which Wich and Conran Restaurants, as well as being a member of the advisory board for this fantastic company that Liz and Guillaume have diligently built, Hartstone Rochette.

Supporting the Hartstone Rochette team with my experience and skills in business leadership, people attraction, development and career growth is hugely rewarding, and if I’m honest, as much a passion as it is a job – restaurants, hotels, bars and the emerging new trends and concepts that shape the hospitality industry’s future have long been a bit of an obsession. I take pride in following the leadership principles of Stephen Covey, and use them as a framework for how I operate. As a servant leader, my motto has always been ‘Serve a customer or serve someone who does’.

I think hospitality has always been my calling. After studying it in my native Northern Ireland many moons ago, I relocated to London in the mid 80s to work for the (then) Irish owned Tara Hotel in Kensington, and was subsequently part of the pre-opening team for the mighty Pret a Manger chain in the early 90s. My 20+ year career in hospitality recruitment began soon after, with 18 years at Profile Recruitment (where I met Liz and some of the other Hartstone Rochette team members), before I joined Liz full time at her own firm in 2018.

Two decades in the sector has given me a very deep insight into the fascinating world of hotels and hospitality in general. These days I support Liz and the team on a wide variety of projects, favouring a very methodical approach to the way I do things, and really enjoy the opportunity to meet so many talented people. My biggest passion is undeniably travelling around the world seeing different places, and experiencing fascinating cultures. My tip for success is ‘always strive for the best’.

Event sales and management was my grounding in hospitality, after gaining my degree from the Vatel Hospitality & Tourism Business School, just prior to the millenium. My roles with Carlton IHG, Menno Mayer DMC and Disneyland Paris swiftly followed, giving me invaluable knowledge of how hospitality businesses function. Profile recruitment then came calling, where I specialised in sales and marketing roles for 3 years. I joined Eureka in 2015 and have been seeking candidates for sales, marketing, revenue, digital, operations and other management positions in the sector ever since. I think approaching every task with with a dose of humility, an open mind and an eye for detail always delivers great results.

Using ones instinct, employing a little mild psychoanalysis and soliciting the views of my talented colleagues always helps too. This is a dream job, where I meet fantastic people every day, and help them realise their ambitions. On my days off, and I’m not travelling on some adventure, I’ll have an apron on and be cooking for family and friends, or trying to work out who the killer is in a whodunnit. Above all, being positive has always been my outlook. In the words of the great Proust ‘Il n’y a pas de réussite facile ni d’échecs définitifs’.

I developed my insider knowledge of the hospitality industry in the hotel and club world, and it’s proved invaluable. A Dublin native, my first position was at Ballymaloe House in Co. Cork, right after my Hotel Management studies. London beckoned of course, and I moved to the big smoke to work at the Four Seasons Park Lane (where I met Liz), and subsequently the American Express Consul Club, before a 22 year tenure at Profile Recruitment, specialising in placing Chefs around the world. Since rejoining Liz in 2014, I’ve focussed on international search assignments for F&B Directors, Hotel Managers, senior Chefs and GM roles, and I think it’s my fascination with people and their stories that makes my job so enjoyable. Building close relationships with clients and candidates, and remembering personal details is a big part of my approach to place the ‘perfect’ person in a specific role.

Needless to say, the luxury hotel world is really dynamic, and its an honour to develop people’s careers over many years, as well as support upcoming talent. When I can squeeze in some time for myself I’m a keen rower, but mostly love spending time with family, dining out and entertaining. When asked for advice on what makes a great recruiter, I say ‘treat every move like it’s a member of your family you’re placing, it has to be absolutely the right step towards a more successful future’.

Hospitality was never just a job for me…it was a lifestyle. Studying for a hotel course in Cork just seemed like it was meant to be, and it wasn’t long before I was putting my newfound skills to good use for Radisson SAS and Intercontinental hotels. After holding many years in senior HR and housekeeping positions, I made the jump to recruitment in 2000 and then started working with Liz again in 2014, and never looked back. Its always the people you work with that matter most and I’d like to think I can relate to anyone having spent so long on the other side of the desk. Turns out I still adore matching people to the right roles, and focus mainly on HR, training, engineering and housekeeping for UK and overseas clients.

I’m also a dedicated committee member of HR in Hospitality, an association which brings together HR and L&D professionals from the hospitality industry, and personally run the Awards Dinner which is an annual highlight each Autumn. When I escape the office I love travelling, being out on the town with friends and enjoying London’s restaurant scene. In terms of imparting some of my supposed wisdom, I always like to say ‘It’s nice to be important but it’s more important to be nice!’

Hospitality was always my first choice as a career and soon after my hotel degree, I was on a plane to America to work with Walt Disney. After a few very enjoyable years in Orlando, I took a break and enrolled for my Master’s in Hospitality in Switzerland. My career in hospitality has taken me to the United States, Switzerland, South America, sailing around the globe on board luxury liners and finally settling in London.  Along the way I have had the privilege of working in senior roles with some of the biggest names in the industry including Disney, Gordon Ramsay, Cunard, Firmdale Hotels and Hilton.

This experience has given me valuable insights into how businesses operate and more importantly into the professional and personality traits business leaders need to make companies thrive and succeed. I aim to capitalise on that experience while matching potential candidates to the perfect next step in their careers. I am lucky to work with such a collaborative team that has a wealth of experience, and we pride ourselves on finding the perfect fit both for our clients and candidates.

Outside of work I enjoy spending time with family and friends, playing cricket and arguing about Tottenham’s chances in the Premier league with my two young boys. Trying out new dishes and shaking mean cocktails are some of my other joys in life. One piece of advice that I once got and cherish to this day is that the grass is always greener where you water it.

Prior to working in hospitality executive search, my career for the last 20 years, I had to earn my stripes in the sector of course. Having completed my Hotel Management course in Belfast, I held various F&B management positions at five-star UK properties, starting at Gleneagles, and finally ended up at The Savoy in London. I pivoted into recruitment at this point, joining the Profile team (where I also met Liz) for the best part of two decades, in positions in London, and subsequently the US. Reunited with Liz in 2016, my role in the company now takes in a wide variety of senior Manager and Director assignments for Hotel, F&B, Rooms, Sales & Marketing and Revenue positions, mainly for the Americas & Caribbean.

I see my job a bit like a treasure hunt, where finding that ‘perfect gem’ of a candidate that’s the right fit for my client, both in terms of background and experience as well as the intangibles such as personality, style, character is the big win. I take pride in solving clients’ needs as well as helping our candidates progress in their careers. I love travelling and have been privileged to visit many beautiful places throughout my life. I also love running, playing the piano and, of course, my 2 growing children! My personal mantra? ‘better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it’.

At 22 years old, I arrived in London pursuing my dream to live in this big, fashionable city where one can rise and grow, where the sky is the limit. Following in the footsteps of so many, I knew that getting a job in hospitality, was the quickest route into work.  Then ensued the most difficult and challenging 3 months of my life as a waitress but it’s where I fell in love with the Food and Beverage sector. At this point, I must confess that I was probably the worst waitress you could get.

Gathering all my courage and maybe a bit of luck, I then got an opportunity in the Head office of one of the leading Restaurant Groups in London.

A few years later, it was time for me to try something else, but I knew one thing, I needed to work and breathe Hospitality.

This brought me into contact with Guillaume and Niina, who gave me the chance of starting a new dream. Helping clients to find the best talented candidates to make their project happen, both in the UK and Internationally. They call me the chef whisperer because I like working on chef projects. I have a huge admiration for them, their creativity, the inspiration they can bring to a plate. It is so motivating when you can place someone in their dream job.

Life then took me to Scotland where I was lucky enough to work at Gleneagles the most amazing Resort Hotel. This allowed me to further develop myself and learn the different expectations and standards from hotel guests.

I am now back at Hartstone Rochette loving being with the team again where we work hard to create magical experiences for our clients.

Having recently graduated with a Masters degree in hotel management from Vatel Hospitality & Tourism Business School, the year 2022 marks the beginning of my professional career.  I have spent the last 6 years enjoying a variety of experiences in restaurants and hotels as part of my studies and have developed a deep-rooted passion for the codes of luxury hospitality and high-end service.  I can’t imagine evolving my career in any industry other than hospitality and, for this reason, I am delighted to now be joining the team at Hartstone Rochette.

I feel fortunate to join this experienced and dedicated team of professionals whose mission is to help clients find the best talents for their organization, as well as guiding candidates in their career development and fulfilment. I have no doubt that this challenge will allow me to interact with talented and ambitious people; motivating me to get the best out of my role as Consultant.

As a person, I always look on the bright side of life! I am curious, like to discover new places, and I love spending time with my friends.  Paris is the perfect place for this!  But when I’m not in the  city, you will find me indulging my passion for horse-riding in the countryside.

I truly believe that “Success is the sum of small efforts repeated day after day”, whether it is in our professional or personal lives.

I grew up immersed in the world of hotels, with my father a General Manager working in hotels all around the globe, it was hard to not see the wonders of the hospitality industry.

Because of my father’s job, I had quite the well-travelled upbringing…  born in Antigua and lived in Cyprus, Qatar, Grenada, and The Bahamas, before coming back to the UK as a teenager to finish my education.

Completing a degree in Business Management at Queen’s University in Belfast. I loved my time in Northern Ireland, but unfortunately it got cut short in 2020 and I ended up having my graduation celebrations in my garden. Trying to kickstart my hospitality career in the height of Covid was quite a struggle so when I had the opportunity to Intern in Learning and Development for Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, I couldn’t pass up the chance. I had an amazing year at Wyndham, loved L&D and was also given the chance to work in the wider HR team on recruitment in hotels across Europe. This was my first taste of talent management, and I loved speaking to candidates about their journey in hospitality. Following completion of my internship, it was clear that I wanted more exposure to recruitment, so I joined a luxury hospitality recruiter focusing on all job levels across London restaurants. Whilst I learnt a lot including all the ups and downs of recruitment,  I ultimately knew that my heart was in hotels, leading me to reach out to Liz, a long-term connection of my father’s.

On a sunny day you will find me on a walk down by the River Thames or exploring London and trying new restaurants with my friends. My parents now live in Barbados, so, when I’m not in London, I will probably be on the beach there!

Having been exposed to different sectors, discovering the world of hospitality with Hartstone Rochette is like Alice in wonderland. I am lucky to be a part of this family composed of expert in their fields. I have discovered hospitality is all about talented and dedicated people. Being involved in global research is stimulating to say the least. The communication and support from my colleagues is second to none. Already I am proud to be part of this great family.