In a colourful 30-year career Bill Toner had top roles with two of the UK contract catering sector’s largest companies - as managing director of Sodexo and chief executive of Aramark.
And he told an Arena Lunch audience of 200 senior hospitality professionals that if their companies did not care about corporate social responsibility they should be trying to persuade them about how to get involved and “make your environment a better place to work”.
Highlighting the “incredible work” being achieved by the trade’s two charities, Toner said: “By supporting Springboard and Hospitality Action we are giving something back. All companies should do this nowadays because it helps all sectors of the trade and provides a lift to the newcomers who are the industry’s lifeblood.
“In our industry, like no other, this is the place to be and I’ve always pursued the policy of people working for people. I have enjoyed every single minute of working in it and am still doing so with Host.”
A contract catering company operating nationwide, Host was launched in 2004 by entrepreneur Jerry Brand.
Toner said that right from the start of his career he was doing a job that he loved and that there had been “fantastic opportunities” to go forward.
“Straight away, it was exciting to be part of a dynamic team which cared about its customers but I soon realised that I was capable of achieving a lot more after initially wanting to be a hotel manager and spending two years in France as a chef.
“Joining Gardner Merchant (GM) changed my life, initially working as a catering manager with an organisation that was interested in me and planning for my future.
“This company, with its training, development and commitment, transformed the industry. The policy was that if we wanted to retain people we had got to give them something back.
“At the time, I was effectively running my own business in charge of about a dozen contracts. I loved it and did exceptionally well.”
After gaining promotion he was keen to become a regional director in his native Scotland, but instead was given an equivalent post in London where 15 contracts were worth more than all the business in his homeland put together.
“The trade was changing, with clients speaking of fixed prices and other innovative ideas which, I realised, were great opportunities at a time when recession and debt problems were
kicking in.”
Then came the sale of GM, with the options initially either Aramark or Compass until the management stepped in with a bid.
“It was a huge learning curve, and timely, and in the end resulted in the largest ever management buyout. All of a sudden the company was ours, with key people investing in the business.
“My training as a chef was crucial at this time because the future business direction was again changing. I pursued celebrity chefs like Gary Rhodes and later Brian Turner and Gordon Ramsay to become involved because I knew they could get youngsters to take an interest in contract catering.”
He credited the success of Gardner Merchant to one man, the chief executive Garry Hawkes (who has been subsequently knighted for his services to catering).
“He put the changes into place and grew the business into an international success.”
But when Sodexho (later to become Sodexo) bought the company, Toner said there was no longer a small management team running the show.
“Instead, it was run by a large enterprise, participating and contributing, at a time when the industry was changing dramatically.”
Toner was then approached by Aramark, a US-based private company which, he felt, valued its people.
“They wanted to be the best in class and they were ready to go the extra mile.”
He admits this excited him.
He went on a six-month learning experience to the US before returning to the UK where the £70 million business was a comparatively small part of the worldwide company’s £600 million turnover.
But Aramark had big plans for the UK, with areas identified for development including vending, the prison service and international off-shore enterprises.
“Before this, the biggest challenge at the time had been to persuade Aramark to change and grow the business.
“But the decision was taken to be in the fight and get the right team coming in with sheer determination,” said Toner, who played a key role in this transformation, seeing the company’s UK turnover rise to £400 million over five years.
Although he felt that what he was doing was the right thing for the business and giving shareholders good value, the arrival of a new head of the US parent company changed the mood.
“I began to feel at meetings as though I was an elephant in the room and there was only one decision for me - to leave gracefully.”
That was in 2005; and after 15 months gardening leave and “improving my golf handicap”, he was approached by Brand.
He says of him: “Entrepreneurs are born and not made. They get up, ignoring the obstacles, get over them and get things done.
“Looking at the five pages of notes he sent me for taking on the job it looked as though he wanted a super human being. But I knew that although he might have been right in many avenues, in certain instances he was not and that I could get it right. So I took up the challenge.
“Host is a small environmentally friendly independent company with an interest in the right people. It aims to be effective in a competitive market and to deliver the best without being fearful of competitors.
“We are doing our level best to compete while at the same time enjoying this venture.”