REACHING FO T
he aroma of toast is prevalent as I join Angela it’s spending didn’t match its cash flow, and its difficult Vickers, Chief Executive of Apex Hotels, the to dispose of art collections and helicopters quickly! It family-owned group which was set up by Norman also had a lot of staff.” The merger had a casualty in the Springford, at the hotel’s newest hotel in Glasgow. She shape of Neil Chisman, Stakis’ then Financial Director, is sitting in the hotel’s new bar and restaurant area, says Angela, “Neil was a huge influence on me. He, in which also appears to double as a business centre. fact, gave a lot of younger people at Stakis, who had Breakfast is just over, but as we enjoyed coffee she talent, real encouragement. He pushed me to do things explained the concept of the space, “This is an area I hadn’t done before from presenting to the board to which we believe can be utilised for leisure time, for projects that, to begin with, I didn’t think I could do. He work time and socialising too. We know how important would also send us to London on courses to ensure we wi-fi connectivity is to guests so this is an area we invest were keeping at the forefront of latest developments. heavily in to allow guests to operate the multiple devices He really was a mentor.” they travel with.” When Stakis was sold in 1999 to Hilton, Angela Funny she should say that because she is, in fact, sitting stayed on for the next year and a bit, but she says it with a Pc-based laptop, her apple phone, apple mini, and was not easy. She explains, “It was difficult. We had to a black notebook. When I mention that she laughs, “I’ve consolidate the Stakis portfolio and merge it with Hilton, just got my mini mac, but I really like it. But honestly I implement new systems and at the same time cut costs still write down everything in my little black notepad. drastically, which obviously included making people I have got years worth of them and I store them at redundant. There was a lot of pressure upheaval and home. But I need the Pc for I had just had my son, and spreadsheets.” thought I am not enjoying Spreadsheets are somethis. So I decided to ask thing that Angela is well for redundancy, and take a WORKING AT STAKIS used to, having qualified step back from hospitality.” TAUGHT ME A LOT. I STILL originally as an accountant. Her next role saw her join a In fact, it was her role at Telecoms start-up in 2001 MEET PEOPLE, NOT JUST KPMG as an auditor that called Damavo. When IN SCOTLAND, BUT IN first brought the hospitality she started there were HOSPITALITY THROUGHOUT industry to her attention. three employees, including She explains, “At KPMG herself. The business THE UK, WHO STARTED OUT our departments were was a management buyAT STAKIS. THE COMPANY organised by industry, and out from Ericsson by a DID LEAVE A LEGACY. I was in the department Venture Capital company that looked after various who placed Pearse Flynn ANGELA VICKERS, hospitality clients from and Graham Bissett at the Stakis to leisure clubs, and helm. Says Angela, “At the CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF APEX HOTELS hotels. There was a lot of time I knew nothing about variety.” She was lured Telecoms. But I helped from KPMG by Stakis to finalise the buyout and take over as Internal Audit Manager and spent the next took the role of Financial Director. In the beginning, I eight years with the group. She says, “Working in audit just wrote down everything. For instance, I hadn’t a clue is a great training ground. I learned how important it is what VOIP was, or converged data networks. Now I look to troubleshoot, to look at areas of the business that back and realise that the business was at the forefront are a struggle and areas that can be improved. In fact, of communications development. We are using this my staff sometimes say why do you always focus on the technology now. During my time there the company grew things that are not working...but it is the way I’ve been to have 120 staff in Glasgow, and business all around trained.” the world. But then another recession hit. By this time She continues, “Working at Stakis also taught me a lot. I had come to realise actually I preferred the hospitality I still meet people, not just in Scotland, but in hospitality industry. Sometimes you have to branch out and work in throughout the UK, who started out at Stakis. The another industry before you appreciate what you had.” company did leave a legacy. There I got the opportunity Her move to Apex came after a friend told her Norman to look at hotels, restaurants, casinos, care homes Springford was looking for a Financial Director. It was and leisure clubs. These were the glory days when the 2004, and the company was on the brink of opening in bosses took helicopters to meetings. It was a fantastic London. At the time, it had five hotels and a turnover of business, unfortunately when the first recession came, £14m. Today it has nine hotels, 1248 rooms, (with
24 DRAM NOVEMBER 2015