Ishbel is a true Highlander! A game-keeper’s daughter, she was born and raised in Inverness-shire.

Her career has been divided into working in management; with BP, Debenhams Catering Company and with Baxter’s of Speyside, and in training; lecturing at Aberdeen College and Inverness College. She is totally committed to excellence in the industry, and worked with Springboard Scotland promoting hospitality as a first choice career. She is very much a “people person” making her ideally suited as a Hospitality Assured coach, whilst her varied experience and knowledge of the Highland area is vital in supporting the businesses through the standard.

John set up the Business Excellence Consultancy in 1998 and has worked with some 300+ businesses throughout Scotland - particularly in the hospitality and tourism sectors – assisting them towards the ‘achievement of excellence’.

As well as being an accredited Hospitality Assured (HA) Coach, John is a trained Excellence Award Assessor for Quality Scotland and has been Investors in People Assessor and Specialist Adviser. He is also a certified accountant (FCCA).

Until 1996 John was a senior manager with the Post Office holding a variety of posts during his 30 years there. His last five years were spent as MD of their in-house catering company, Quadrant Catering.

Marina is the principal consultant in M H Training & Development. She has spent all of her working life in the hospitality and tourism industry. She has extensive experience in senior hospitality management positions both in the public and private sector. She was Hospitality Operations Manager at National Westminster Bank Tower in London before moving back to her native Scotland.

Marina is passionate about tourism and the development of people. She delivers a wide range of Tourism Excellence related training and business consultancy. For the last six years Marina has worked in partnership to combine expertise and skills in the delivery of service and business excellence through Hospitality Assured.

Sue spent three years at Exeter College studying catering, followed by 10 years in the industry in varied management positions. She then moved to Shetland to take up the post of Head of Hospitality at the local college. She remained in this post for 22 years before taking the plunge and becoming self-employed.

For the past four years, she has been utilising her experience from chef to management consultant and trainer in hospitality, tourism and retail, to help her clients.

Sue really enjoys meeting the clients and loves new challenges; she also gets great satisfaction in seeing businesses grow.

Lisa set up her own business, LSM Consultancy in 2006 and is currently helping 30 businesses through Hospitality Assured. Originally from Northern Ireland, she has spent time in various parts of the UK working and studying in the hospitality sector. Latterly working in senior catering posts at both Edinburgh University and Zoo.

Lisa is involved in several hospitality projects within the Outer Hebrides. She will also be opening her guesthouse in Spring 2008.

Ian Whitaker has been Commercial Director at CairnGorm Mountain since 2001 following a varied career in the Hospitality sector.

In 2003, Ian introduced Hospitality Assured to the business with great success. As a coach with extensive commercial experience in the hospitality sector and experience of being assessed and re-assessed himself, Ian can help businesses identify how to deliver and demonstrate excellence, integrating HA practices into their day to day business model.

After qualifying in Hotel Management, Jennifer worked in supervisory and management roles in various well known London hotels. She became a senior lecturer in Hospitality Management at Glasgow College of Food Technology and whilst there she set up and managed a consultancy and training company which undertook a wide variety of work for the tourism industry.

Jennifer is a Hospitality Assured Coach for the Institute of Hospitality (she was President of the Institute, 1999 – 2000) and really enjoys working with a range of tourism businesses in the Argyll and the Islands area.

Murdo is an icon of the Highlands and Islands. After graduating from obedience school, he followed in the family paw-prints to work in the tourism and hospitality industry. Has held a number of customer-facing roles including greeting and meeting, security and recreation/outdoor pursuits.

Now specialises in sniffing out best practice across the spectrum of tourism and hospitality disciplines. Loyal, friendly and ready to fetch answers to questions on a wide range of Hospitality Assured topics. As a working dog, Murdo needs lots of exercise and attention.