Meet Our Industry Advisory Board

Meet our new HIT Scotland Industry Advisory Board (IAB). Bringing together leading HR and L&D minds from across the sector, the board delivers the vital external perspective and strategic challenge that keeps our Executive & Leadership Programmes at the cutting edge.

Whether they are working with our delivery partner network to help refine programme content, informing the commissioning of new programmes or steering the annual Industry Leadership Conference, their focus is clear ……

‘ Ensuring our Executive & Leadership offer remains relevant, transformative and built for tomorrow’s leaders’

  • Head of Learning & Development, Cameron House Hotel

    Kyle started his career in hospitality 10 years ago and, like many people do, he did so almost by accident.

    After leaving school, he took on a part-time role as a cleaner within the lodge housekeeping team at Cameron House. He then moved into a role as a resort driver during the refurbishment of Cameron House, which shifted focus from a back-of-house position to a guest-facing role. He continued with Cameron House through Covid, supporting the lodges within the guest services team, before progressing into guest experience roles across the resort.

    Being part of the reopening of a five-star luxury resort was one of the most valuable experiences in his career, from preparing to welcome guests back to onboarding over 400 new team members at once. During that time, I realised that while I loved delivering great service, I was even more interested in developing the people behind it. That’s what led me into Learning & Development, and for the past 3 years that’s where I have focussed on supporting leaders and teams to build confidence, capability, and consistency in how they deliver.

    Alongside this, Kyle has continued to develop through industry training, including apprenticeships, formal qualifications in L&D and through involvement with HIT Scotland and the Futures Committee, where he has had the opportunity to contribute to conversations around developing the next generation of hospitality professionals.

    Kyle joined the HIT Executive Leadership Advisory Group to support the growth of the industry and to help shift the perception of hospitality into a career people actively choose.

  • General Manager, The Real Mary King’s Close

    Leading the operation, and strategic development, of one of Scotland’s most distinctive heritage attractions, Paul has over 20 years’ experience managing some of the country’s most iconic visitor destinations including CairnGorm Mountain, Scottish Seabird Centre, National Museum of Flight and Deep Sea World.

    Paul joined Continuum Attractions in 2019 and has since overseen record-breaking performance, including welcoming over 300,000 visitors in 2025 from 159 countries.

    In 2025, Paul was named Individual of the Year at VisitScotland’s Central & East Thistle Awards, alongside The Real Mary King’s Close being recognised as Employer of the Year, reflecting his strong focus on people, authentic storytelling and workplace culture.

    Paul is also Chair of the Association of Scottish Visitor Attractions (ASVA), providing a national leadership perspective on Scotland’s tourism and heritage sectors

    Paul joined the Advisory Board because he believes HIT gives so much to the industry and often fills the void in personal development training that traditional training just doesn’t cover. 

    The significant milestones in his personal development have all been facilitated through HIT and serving on this new advisory board is a small way in which Paul feels he can give back to the sector.

  • Talent & Development Manager, Apex Hospitality Group

    A Learning and Development leader with over 16 years’ experience in the hospitality and tourism sector, including five years specialising in strategic L&D and talent development.

    Kirsty brings a deep industry insight alongside a strengths‑based, evidence‑led approach to building workforce capability, succession, and long‑term talent pipelines.

    Kirsty’s appointment to the HIT Executive Leadership Board is driven by a passion to contribute at a more strategic, sector‑wide level - supporting the development of inclusive talent development strategies and strengthening hospitality’s position as a sustainable, future‑ready industry and credible long‑term career destination.

  • Director of Talent, Aimbridge Hospitality (EMEA)

    Nicole's career in hospitality spans over 20 years, beginning on the front line in local, and branded, bars and restaurants. After 12 years in operations, Nicole moved into hospitality recruitment, working in both agency and internal resourcing roles, before joining Interstate Hotels & Resorts in 2018 as a Resourcing Specialist.

    Following a merger with Aimbridge Hospitality in 2020, Nicole's role progressed to oversee resourcing strategy and talent management across Europe and now leads a team of specialists as the Director of Talent for EMEA.

    Along the way, Nicole has developed a deep specialism in talent management, leadership development, and building the people frameworks that allow hospitality businesses to grow and thrive. 

    Outside of work, Nicole's passion for hospitality is echoed in her love for dining out and experiencing the best Scottish hospitality has to offer.

    It's that passion that brought her to HIT Scotland and keeps her committed to its mission.

  • Director

    Joyce Frankish is a commercially driven Recruitment Director with over 20 years’ experience shaping talent strategies across Scotland’s hospitality, tourism, healthcare and public sectors.

    With a BA (Hons) in Hospitality & Tourism Management, she specialises in connecting organisations with leadership talent, building high-performing teams and driving sustainable growth.

    Alongside her role, Joyce is a committed contributor to the wider industry. She serves as Deputy Chair of the National Association of Care Catering (NACC), supports employability initiatives through Developing the Young Workforce (DYW) and Springboard, and is a member of the Hospitality Industry Trust Executive Leadership Advisory Group.

    Passionate about people, Joyce is dedicated to creating opportunities at every stage of the hospitality journey—from inspiring young people into the sector to supporting the development of future leaders—helping shape a resilient, inclusive and forward-thinking industry.

  • Head of People, Cairn Hotel Group

    Claire Gormanley is a senior HR and People leader with over 20 years’ experience shaping high‑performing, future‑fit organisations. She is currently Head of People at Cairn Group and is CIPD accredited, with a strong background in operational leadership and large‑scale people transformation.

     Claire is known for combining strategic insight with practical delivery, partnering closely with executive teams to strengthen leadership capability, drive cultural change and align people strategies with long‑term business outcomes.

    Claire joined the HIT Advisory Board because she believes in preparing executive teams for the future by building capability, adaptability and purpose‑led leadership, and values the opportunity to help shape best‑practice thinking alongside peers.

Join the Team

If you are interested in supporting the work of our Industry Advisory Board, then please click here to contact us for more information.

  • Be More Human / The Career Coach and L&D Consultant / Head Coach

    Rob Moore is a highly experienced career and executive coach and workshop facilitator with over 25 years of experience in learning and development, training and recruitment.

    Based in Scotland and operating two businesses - ‘Be More Human’ and ‘The Career Coach’ , he specialises in helping individuals and organisations navigate the full career lifecycle, from managing redundancy to securing high-level executive promotions.

    Rob is recognised for his pragmatic, empathetic approach, having successfully coached over 500 individuals since 2018.

    His expertise spans personal branding, career transition strategy, business startup and leadership development. He is a frequent contributor to professional development hubs (such as myjobscotland) and is known for his "agile" coaching style that combines occupational insight with actionable results.

    Values-driven and results-oriented, Rob focuses on building confidence and clarity for his clients. Whether acting as a mentor for senior leaders or a strategic advisor for corporates, he is dedicated to helping people understand their worth and take decisive action to achieve their goals.