Fifth generation family business, Wells & Co has announced Franki Hale will be joining the board as People Director.
With a 190-strong estate of award-winning pubs in the UK as well as 17 pubs in France, Hale will be responsible for the formulation and execution of Wells & Co’s people and service strategy to proactively contribute to growing the businesses, the team and continue expanding its managed pub estate.
Having a wealth of impressive experience in organisational design, strategic HR and business development at renowned companies within the industry, such as Greene King, Starbucks as well as independent coffee chains and restaurants her most recent work has been in the tech sector with well-established business Convergence Group and most recently, tech start up Tiviti.
The team at Wells & Co are excited to be working with Hale and confident she has the right experience and skill set to evolve the culture needed for growth.
Peter Wells, managing director, commented, “Our people are our greatest asset and its crucial we are able to retain and attract the very best talent. Our success depends on it.
'Our HR team has already made great strides to deliver a people plan that has put us on the right track and Franki’s appointment will help us embed the plan across the group and position us to grow the business with a great team, doing great things.”
After facing the toughest two years the industry has ever seen due to a global pandemic, the challenge is not over for the hospitality sector. With a shortage of talented individuals now coming to the UK for work, and thousands of people having taken the opportunity to retrain and career change, the need for a strong culture is greater than ever.
Hale commented, “The industry has had its fair share of challenges. It’s been tough throughout the last few years and the team at Wells did the impossible and launched a brewery in this time! I’m excited to take the great work that’s already been done and bring a new, fresh viewpoint to the people strategy.”
Hale’s key objective is to help and support the board from a people and cultural strategy to take the company to the next level of profitability – creating £15m in 5 years.
She continued, “My aim is to support Wells to the point where our teams are recommending us to friends as the place to work, developing a performance related culture, driving the growth plans for the business from a people perspective, and creating an environment where people enjoy themselves.”