Hospitality Action has announced that Mark Lewis will step down as Chief Executive in March 2027 after nine years leading the industry charity.
Lewis joined Hospitality Action in 2017 following 14 years at The Caterer, where he served as Editor and Publisher.
He had already been closely involved with Hospitality Action before taking the executive role, having served as a trustee for 11 years.
During his tenure, Lewis has led the charity through a period encompassing the Covid pandemic, Brexit and wider economic pressures affecting hospitality businesses and employees.
His time as Chief Executive has also seen Hospitality Action expand its Employee Assistance Programme and develop new fundraising initiatives and support services.
More recently, the charity introduced a welfare benefits advice service which has helped beneficiaries identify more than £1 million in previously unclaimed entitlements.
Lewis said: “It’s been the honour of my life to be the custodian of our beautiful charity. Hospitality needs and deserves a strong charity to act as its safety net, and I’ve always believed that when you understand what Hospitality Action is and what it does, you can’t help but fall in love with it.
“I’ve been blessed to work alongside a fantastic team focused single-mindedly on improving the lives of others. I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve achieved together and deeply grateful to everyone who has supported Hospitality Action along the way.
“I’d love to live in a world where there was no need for a charity like Hospitality Action to exist. Sadly, the need for our services continues to rise, not diminish. I look forward to seeing our charity’s impact continue to grow in the future and I urge everyone working in hospitality to ‘pay it forward’ by finding a way to support our work.
“It has been a privilege to serve the UK’s hospitality industry and to be part of a charity that delivers daily on its promise, ‘We’ve got you.’”
Jonathan Raggett, CEO of Red Carnation Hotels and Chair of Trustees at Hospitality Action, said: “I would like to thank Mark for everything he has done for Hospitality Action during his nine years as Chief Executive.
“On behalf of myself and the Trustees, I wish him all the very best for the future and know he will remain a passionate advocate of this much-loved and essential charity for the hospitality industry.”
Lewis will remain as Chief Executive until March 2027 and will help launch a year-long programme of activity marking Hospitality Action’s 190th anniversary.