Edinburgh First continues to grow with two new appointments
Two new additions to spearhead growth within the business
Today, 26 August 2021, Edinburgh First, the University of Edinburgh’s hospitality and events collection, has announced two new appointments to its fast-growing Business Development team.
Former Head of Visitor Experience at Mercat Tours and General Manager at the Radical Travel Group, Pete Duncan has been appointed as Edinburgh First’s Business Analyst, bringing more than 20-years of industry experience to the team.
Sarah McLean will also be joining the team as Business Development Manager for Accommodation. Sarah has worked for some of the largest names in hospitality, including Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts, Hilton Worldwide and IHG Hotels.
This is the latest round of recruitment alongside Amanda Ferguson, formerly Head of Business Tourism with Marketing Edinburgh, who was recently appointed as Head of Business Development for Edinburgh First in May this year. The new team will bring together over 50 years of enviable experience and will play an integral role in re-establishing the success of the University’s hotel and venue portfolio after a tumultuous year for hospitality.
Pete will be responsible for providing critical market, customer and competitor insights to improve occupancy, income and profitability across all the key areas of the commercial businesses. With former Business Development roles with the City of Edinburgh Council and Sodexo Prestige, Sarah will work alongside Amanda to develop and deliver growth in occupancy and income in hotels and across the University’s extensive accommodation portfolio.
Lyndsay Wilkie, Director of Business Development, said: “This is another milestone moment for our team. Not only does this bring a wide range of skills and expertise to the business, but the appointments also provide a much-needed boost proving that the industry is bouncing back after what has been a very difficult year.
The University of Edinburgh hospitality and events collection, provides a full range of hotel, event, accommodation and catering services across the University of Edinburgh estate.
For more information, please call 0131 651 2189 or visit the website www.edinburghfirst.co.uk or follow on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
