Oakman Inns hires Butlin’s boss as new COO

Oakman Inns has hired leisure boss Dermot King as the pub group’s newly created chief operating officer.

King, currently managing director of British holiday chain Butlin’s, was Oakman chief executive Peter Borg-Neal’s “first choice for the role,” which was created while the company plans further expansion with another five pubs in the pipeline.

“It became clear to myself and my executive directors (Joseph Evans, CFO, Alex Ford, Operations Director and Jill Scatchard, HR Director) that we were about to become far busier,” Borg-Neal said.

“We felt the time was right to find someone who had the same level of customer focus as our team and who would understand our community and corporate ethos.”

King, who joined Butlin’s parent company Bourne Leisure in the 1980s, and now sits on the board of industry body UKHospitality, will join Oakman Inns in January 2019.

Borg-Neal said he was impressed with the travel boss’ “clarity of thought, his energy and, of course, his remarkable track record.”

“Once the decision had been taken to find a COO – Dermot was our first choice. We have had long discussions, and Dermot has run his critical eye over the business and I am delighted to say, he has agreed to join the business in this significant step on our ongoing journey.”

The appointment comes in the wake of strong sales in the first half of 2018 as the group continues to grow.

Sales rose by 5% in the first quarter of the financial year thanks in-part to two new sites added to the portfolio.