#44 - Bianca Dawson, CEO, Sand Hill Road

From LinkedIn.

As Chief Executive Officer, I lead our team in driving positive, productive culture and practices with a progressive take on our industry’s capabilities.

Together with our senior leadership team, I oversee and evaluate performance, design and implement business strategies, set propelling goals and ensure social responsibility while driving our values, culture and growth. Having joined Sand Hill Road in 2017 as Group People & Culture Manager, I am particularly passionate about the development of our people through our training, mentoring and wellbeing programs.

Hospitality calls for a unique brand of operations management. Born and raised in hospo, I have a unique understanding of the dynamic complexities of our industry and the challenges they bring. As part of my commitment to providing a genuine and enjoyable experience for both our customers and our team, I take a hands-on approach to the day to day operations of our venues.

In 2018, I had the opportunity to manage the extensive recruitment, induction and training of our 300-strong Espy opening crew. A true career highlight, my team and I devised compelling recruitment strategies and incorporated personality profiling with the keen objective of hiring on value alignment. Finding the right characters and facilitating the best training and support paved the way for strong engagement, enthusiasm, and, in turn, the successful relaunch of this iconic venue.

Ensuring an epic time every time comes from more than just our amazing pubs and products - it takes a diverse team with a genuine love for the industry. I am so proud to lead that team into the next chapter and push the boundaries of expectation for our customers, our people, our community, our venues and our brand.