John Cousins - General profile

• Fifty years in the hospitality industry in hotel and food and beverage management, and in further and higher education.
• Recognised by education and industry as an authority on food and beverage operations and hospitality management though a distinguished career, membership of professional bodies, undertaking a variety of professional activities and through being a respected consultant and an author of 50 specialist food and beverage publications.
• Holds hospitality craft and management qualifications and postgraduate business and management qualifications including a Henley MBA.
• Successful training and management consultancy services provided for over 20 years.
• National and international contributions made to the development of education and qualifications for the hospitality, tourism and leisure industries.
• Contributions recognised through gaining high level membership of professional bodies, being made lifetime honorary member of the Restaurant Association of Great Britain, conferred as an honorary professor of the university of West London, presented with a Catey Award for contributions to Education and Training, awarded a Diploma of Contribution by the Craft Guild of Chefs, made a Freeman of the Worshipful Company of Cooks, and admitted to the Freedom of the City of London.

Professional Memberships

Fellow:

- Royal Academy of Culinary Arts - Curnonski Chair

- Institute of Hospitality

- Academy of Food and Wine Service

- Institute of Consulting

- Chartered Management Institute

Member:

- Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development - Chartered Member

- Réunion des Gastronomes

- Association de la Jurade de Saint-Émilion - prud’homme

Associate:

- The Restaurant Association of Great Britain (Lifetime Honorary)

Professional activities include:

• Contributions to committees and working groups including: The Chartered Management Institute Professional Standards committee; The Canadian Tourism Human Resource Council development committee, for the Food and Beverage International Competency Standard; Hospitality Industry National Skills Academy Quality Assurance Group; Foodservice Consultants Society International sub-group for Continuing Professional Development, the Worldwide Council for Professional Standards,  the Réunion des Gastronomes management committee and the City and Guilds Council.
• Visiting Professor - London School of Hospitality and Tourism, University of West London.
• University External Examiner for hospitality and tourism programs for twenty years.
• Editorial Board of the principal hospitality management academic journal, International Journal of Hospitality Management.
• Independent Assessor for the Meeting Industry Association Accreditation Scheme.
• Guardian Member of Hospitality Action.
• Pioneer of industry-based food service competitions, and on a voluntary basis works with: The University Caterers Organisation (TUCO), WorldSkills UK, Hotelympia, the Armed Services, the Royal Academy of Culinary Arts as joint chair of the Annual Awards of Excellence and Vice Chair of the Master of Culinary Arts, Chair of the Réunion des Gastronomes’ Award, and as competition director for the Gold Service Scholarship.