The Aspiring Manager Awards are now in their 12th year and celebrate the up and coming managers in the hospitality industry. The awards are run by the Institute of Hospitality London Branch.

This year the awards were held at the Victory Services Club and attended by 140 hospitality professionals. There were 12 short listed candidates for this coveted award and each of them had to send in a video entry which was shown to all in attendance.

It was an honour to be sitting on the table of the Aspiring Manager Award winner 2019 Kelly Staunton, Guest Relations Manager at The Midland Manchester, a Leonardo Royal Hotel. She has global hospitality experience having worked in China, Cyprus, USA and the UK and is definitely one to watch for the future.

These awards give the recognition of some of the best young talent in the industry and congratulations goes out to all that were shortlisted, which is an achievement in itself as well as to the worthy winners.

Shortlisted Aspiring Managers:

Daryl Antwi-Safee – Baxter Storey

Caroline Bacigalupo – Baxter Storey

Elliott Eldridge – Bartellas Restaurant and Bar

Fiona Karn-Smith – Victory Services Club

Hajnal Laczko – St Ermin’s Hotel

Samantha Lawrence – Bartlett Mitchell

Cecilia Odengran – Hilton London Bankside – Second Place

Samuel O’Rourke – The Savoy

Grozdenka Popova – Dukes London

Emma Shutler – Accenture, CH&Co Workplaces

Kelly Staunton – Leonardo Hotels – Aspiring Manager Winner 2019

Varadha Thilinajakam – The Ritz Hotel