Kay England has stood down as CEO of Imago after 30 years with the venue chain.
England took over as CEO in 2002, after joining it in 1991 when it started as Loughborough University’s Short Course Centre, trading as Burleigh Court.
During her tenure, she oversaw the expansion from a 100-bedroom conference centre to the multi-million-pound venue portfolio they are today. She will now be focusing on new areas of personal development and spending more time with her family.
Imago has confirmed that Spencer Graydon will replace England as CEO.
“A key factor that drew me to Imago is its strong people culture, evidenced by the numerous industry awards it has gained, along with the widely recognised Investors In People Platinum Award,” said Graydon.
“Following Kay’s extremely successful tenure, over such a long and stable period, building on that legacy and taking the business forward will be a huge challenge. But I see it as an extremely exciting challenge and I relish the opportunity to build on Imago’s high standards and customer service excellence,” he added.
Rob Chamberlain, marketing manager for the chain, said that the current climate was “undeniably one of the most difficult times for the hospitality industry” as venues look to recover from a global pandemic that has inflicted so much collateral damage to the sector. However, Chamberlain said it is also a “fantastic opportunity” to re-establish Imago Venues as a leading meetings and events brand.
“We’re in the meetings business. We fundamentally believe in the value of face-to-face meetings and our company is all about bringing people together and providing the perfect environment for learning and communication to flourish,” he said. “That’s been our mantra for the last 30 years, and here’s to another 30 years.”
