National Executive Committee

National President - Julian Bernstein

Joined the National Executive at the 2010 AGM

I am a retired Hotelier and Restaurateur with 40 years of Jersey and International experience.

 I joined Skål in the 1980s and have been a council member most of the time. I am in the middle of my second two year term of Presidency of the Jersey club.

1st Vice President - David Lord

Organising the 59th UK National Assembly in Jersey, April 2012

2nd Vice President - Alison Partridge

Alison Partridge has become the First Vice President of Skal International London.

At the 2012 Skål UK AGM, Alison has been nominated for National 2nd Vice President.

Alison has worked in the travel industry for over 30 years. She owned and ran a very successful public relations and marketing consultancy firm in the UK for 15 years. Most recently, for 8 years, she held the post of Director of Public Relations & Marketing at The Butchart Gardens in Victoria, BC, Canada. Alison is now back in London UK again and we are delighted to have her onboard the Skal London council. We wish her all the best in the future.

Immediate Past President - Ian Hawkes

Ian joined the National Executive in January 2009.

He has over 31 years experience in travel industry sales and marketing having worked for BOAC, Qantas and latterly AB Airlines. His managerial experience includes both UK and European sales and marketing responsibilities with particular emphasis on advertising, pricing and promotion.

As managing director of affiliate, Core Marketing Ltd, he is the Executive Director of the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) UK Chapter and provides the secretariat services for the AAC. 

Secretary - Sally Gray

Sally joined Skål in Bournemouth in 1976, transferring to Brighton in 1980.

Currently the President of Brighton & Sussex, having previously been President in 1986.

A driving force in the development of the idea of joing the club together with the Channel in January 2012, it will be known as Skål International Brighton, Sussex and The Channel

Joined the National Executive as Secretary in April 2008, following the death of her husband Stuart, the previous incumbent.

Treasurer - John Watts

Elected at the January 2012 AGM

Webmaster - Peter Steen

Having done so much work to establish this website in the fore front of the future of communications for the whole of the Skål movement, Peter joined the National Executive in January 2003.

Peter joined Skål in 1993 when the Lake District club was formed, and has served as Secretary and President, of this the youngest club in Skål UK

Worked for Trust Houses Forte, and held many senior hotel management positions in a number of hotels.

Works for AWOL, a local Catering Agency, doing relief work in many kitchen throughout Cumbria and beyond.  

Executive Officer - Diana Hall

Long time member of Skål Luton

Also President of the Skål UK Past President's Association, one of only a handful throughout the world

Executive Officer - Lyn Snelgrove

A former National President, but re-joined the National Executive at the January 2011 AGM

Holds the portfolio of newsletter

International Councillor - Paul Follows

Elected to National President for 2007, Paul has many exciting ideas to take Skål in the UK forward for the future. In 2009 he was elected International Councillor.

At the National AGM in January 2010, took on the dual roles of Membership Development and PR

email address: paul.follows@btinternet.com

 He is excited with Young People within Skål and during his year as National President, made his Presidential theme  “Engaging the Next Generation”

 He has developed the Skål Graduate of the Year Award., and hopes to take this forward in time.

Paul was born and schooled in Stafford United Kingdom and gained his Final Membership qualification of the now renamed Institute of Hospitality, at Birmingham University for Hospitality and Tourism.

Having trained under a Swiss General Manager and Executive Chef at a top four star spa hotel in Droitwich, Paul embarked on a career in established quality corporate hotels. He joined Thistle Hotels as Banqueting Manager of the Gosforth Park Hotel the top Egon Ronay rated hotel in Northern England. Within two years he was promoted to Deputy General Manager and was later seconded to a newly acquired Thistle Hotel at Gatwick Airport to assist the General Manager in bringing the hotel up to Thistle four star standard.

Later he transferred to Thistle’s Manchester hotel with the objective of raising standards of operation. Within eighteen months he was given the General Manager reigns and during the five years as General Manager he perfected his natural flair for sales and marketing moving the hotel into number one spot as the most profitable hotel within the group.

Moving into London he ran a number of small group of independent hotels including the famous Great Western Hotel at Paddington Station (now Hilton).

He moved to Grim’s Dyke Hotel a country house hotel in Harrow, North/West London as General Manager and after four years left for a similar type establishment in North London being given the job of moving the hotel into a higher quality market sector.

Paul was recruited three years later and persuaded to return to Grim’s Dyke as General Manager and later Director. The historical links of the hotel were perfect for Paul’s creative marketing mind. In ten years Paul made Grim’s Dyke an industry renowned name for quality, winning Visit London Best Small Hotel 2004, London in Bloom winner plus UK Inbound’s UK Hotel of the Year for 2006 and recently Visit London’s Best Tourism Experience 2007. Locally the rosette awarded restaurant is considered one of the best in a very competitive market. His motivation is making an idea work, making it pay and doing it in style.

Paul is involved with the London Development Agency where he is presently Chairman of the West London Tourism Executive and Marketing Group and a member of the Industry Committee for the British Hospitality Association.

He is a Past UK President of Skål International the World Wide Travel and Tourism Association.

His interests include dog showing/judging where he is now an international show judge and booked to judge at Cruft’s the world’s largest and most prestigious show in 2011.

Paul lives in East Sussex and is married to Susan and has two children Amy 27 and Greg 25.

Non Executive Member - Diane Toner

Was asked to join the National Executive again in 2010

Also President of Skål Northern Ireland