Stephanie Wade

CEO HUB International Uk

• What was your favourite subject at school?

Art & Design, I really enjoyed the teachers style, encouraging us to think differently, the freedom to take an idea and run with it and the chance to enjoy the class by doing your own thing with your friends side by side, it was relaxing and no pressure because nothing was right or wrong, it was your interpretation of the subject that mattered.

I enjoy learning but I did not enjoy school, and vowed never ever to become a teacher, yet here I am running an educational organisation!

• What was your first job?

My very first job was work experience as a waiter at Barton Grange hotel, near Garstang, with my first paid job being a KP at The Crown Restaurant at the Fishergate Shopping Centre in Preston. I got about £1.20ph, my bus fare was 60p each way, and I worked for 1 hour after school a day. The fact I made nothing didn’t bother me, I was just excited to be out in the real world learning the job. I will never forget how to take apart a dishwasher!

• Which is your favourite restaurant /hotel?

I have 2!

The Birnham Brasserie at Gleneagles – the food is unbelievable, it’s laidback and great music. The hotel itself is a treat to be enjoyed at least once in your life!

The kids club is unreal, my wee ones love it, truly is the Glorious Playground!

And, Cabana at Sani Club in Halkidiki, I did my internship here as a cocktail bartender when I was just 16, I was in love with the vibe, Greece is so relaxed, the SANI group a phenomenal example of the growth luxury family hospitality, I have since returned with my family and it’s just one of my favourite places in the world, the food, the cocktails, the DJ’s, the views!

Just because you have kids doesn’t mean you can’t still enjoy a great hospitality experience, and Scotland has lots of them we are very lucky!

• How do you inspire your team

I try to show them how amazing our industry is, what good looks like and how to surround themselves with others who are doing great things, so they can learn from a whole host of people and make their own connections. That could mean encouraging them to apply to the Hospitality Industry Trust scholarships so they get a chance to go to hotel school in Switzerland, taking them to events to network and make their own industry contacts, or getting back to the tools by working on iconic events such a The Open or Royal Ascot to see a different perspective.

I also have tried hard to create a safe space and positive environment for all our unique personalities, needs and goals at work, whether this is helping them to chase their goals, even if it means leaving us, or supporting them in their careers during major life changes like navigating motherhood.

• Which person in hospitality have you most admired / inspired you?

I read a Richard Branson book when I was a teen, and loved his ‘screw it, let’s do it’ attitude, I love that he tries, fails and perceivers. I loved the Virgin ethos so much I went to work for the company and felt his presence throughout the business, he really does create remarkable and loyal teams and knows how to have fun!

I have also had a range of leaders to learn from, from the infamous Stefan King of the Scotsman Group who dared me to be different and put an immense amount of trust in me to build the Tennent’s Training Academy, along with James Brown who now heads up Brewdog and founded the inspiring TipJAR product, he hired me on the spot and went on to challenge me, encourage me and made me braver and able to take risks which really drove the success of the academy, to Colin Lamb who taught me how to make a P&L and drive the numbers up amongst many other people focused things!

But in my earlier years it was female role models that stood out, like Charlotte Hall Director of Sales at Shire Hotels, who showed me sales 101 and how to find, target and develop customers, I also learned a lot from the bosses at Club 18-30, the whole team recruited, trained and set up from scratch in a different country each year, it was an impressive challenge and I thank Jodie and Vikki Smith for being influential role models back then, they built my skills and confidence in team leading dramatically when we worked abroad together.

• How do you manage your stress levels?

Having little kids has really helped me to switch roles from business to pleasure, I would spend every minute with them if I could, I try hard to focus on fun and family time and keep work stresses away from them. Stress is inevitable when running a business, and owning it makes it one layer tougher…making sure you have enough funds to keep going, develop the company and the people, while having fun is the never ending challenge!

After 7 years Hub International is still going, and growing, with over 20 employees, plus a whole host of associate trainers, we must be doing something right and therefore I just try to take each day as it comes and then celebrate the wee wins. I have really tried hard over the last couple of years to build a strong and confident management team who have really helped to share the load, I think the key is just accepting you can’t do everything and you just have to let go and delegate as much as you can or you will just drown, and there is no fun in that!

As a team this year we added to our values, and one new one is ‘If it’s not fun why are we doing it?’..and we need to remind ourselves of this from time to time, hospitality is the business of making people feel great, and this applies to us as a team too!

We do a lot of fun stuff as a team which helps to bond, build trust and above all not take ourselves too seriously, we’re best described as a work hard, play hard happy team!

• Instagram, Twitter or Facebook – and why?

None – Tik Tok…. I have learnt sooo much and its algorithm is just so specific to me it’s like my own personal life coach, with a side of true crime and coffee addiction!

For the business however, we use all channels, but we do need to invest in a social media guru soon..  we do find it hard to post about everything that we get up to, and jumping on the trends takes work and dedication…so this, and marketing in general is definitely an area for us to improve on!

• If you had not gone into hospitality, where do you think you would be now?

I would probably have gone into some sort of law or international aid work, I have always been the type of person that takes on all the problems of others around me and tries to help, and in a way the work we do at Hub International is very much helping people improve their lives.

I perhaps didn’t know enough about careers when I was growing up so I wasn’t aware of how I would even get into a job like that, but at the time hospitality definitely was my Number 1 choice when I left school, I didn’t fall into it like many, I chased it!

• What did you do on your last days off?

It was the day after POETS which was spectacularly delivered by the Hospitality Industry Trust Scotland committee, so after a mammoth 12-hour event on the Friday I would love to say I had a lie in, a nice walk and a roast dinner, but alas we were up and out at Kids rugby practice, and then Kids Softplay birthday parties!

I do also spend a lot of time in Arran, we recently bought a family business over there and try to get over to the island when I can, it’s such a stunning place and the team are just amazing. It’s been such a great experience so far.

• What do you do to relax, to support your wellbeing?

I have recently returned to the gym and have started swimming regularly.

I had a serious car crash a few years ago which has left me with reduced mobility, and it has been hard getting back on my feet, quite literally! It has really affected me physically and I do have down days, coming to terms with this has been hard, but I feel being able to swim again has really lifted my mood and helped me exercise without pain which is a positive step forward for my mind and body!