Charlton House appoints sixth board director

Alison Gilbert, director of human resources for independent catering company, Charlton House, has been invited to join the Board of Directors of Charlton House with immediate effect, bringing the number of board directors to six: Robyn Jones, Tim Jones, Trevor Jones, Alison Tyler, Caroline Fry and Alison Gilbert.

Gilbert, who joined Charlton House just one year ago, started her career in catering management and moved into HR fifteen years ago, working primarily for high profile companies within the hospitality sector.

The creation of the new directorship post is in line with the companyís on-going growth. Annual turnover now standards at over 80m and the company employs 2,000 people nationwide. Clients include The Law Society, BUPA, the RIBA and Network Rail.

Commenting on the appointment, Tim Jones, chairman and co-founder of Charlton House said: ìAlisonís strong HR experience at the coal face of the hospitality sector, as well as her professionalism and people management skills underline our existing focus on the well-being and development of our people. She brings a fresh and balanced facet to the Board.

ìIt is now more important than ever during this current economic backdrop to acknowledge the important role which HR plays within an organisation – and particularly a service one such as ours - in terms of recruiting, retaining and developing a well-motivated, passionate team to ensure a satisfied client base.î

Alison Gilbert said: ìI am both honoured and delighted to have been asked to play a bigger part in the Charlton House story. Whilst times are different at the moment, it is also an exciting time to be part of a successful company that continues to grow and where people are so very important.

ìThey say that HR should be at the elbow of every Chairman and Chief Executive in order to have true impact; my appointment to the executive further endorses the value that Tim and Robyn Jones, the co-founders of Charlton House, place on their people, whom they see as their greatest asset.î

An Investors in People company since 1997, Charlton House invests heavily in training and development of employees, allowing them to grow and to maximise their skills and potential. Retraining accounts for 2.5% of the companyís payroll, with approximately 20% of employees receiving formal training each month.