People 1st welcomes McDonald's HR boss as chairman
Hospitality, leisure, travel and tourism skills council People 1st, has appointed McDonald's UK & Northern Europe HR head David Fairhurst its new chairman.
Fairhurst, who has been voted Human Resources magazine's most influential HR practitioner for the last two years, moves up to the role having served two years with People 1st as vice chairman and will take over from current chairman Don Davenport when he becomes president in September.
As senior vice president, chief people officer at McDonald’s, Fairhurst was responsible for introducing apprenticeships at the fast food company earlier this year and says he is intending to use his position to help build a more skilled workforce across the whole sector.
He said: "As chairman of People 1st, I will use my experience to accelerate and increase the qualifications available to entrants to the sector so that individuals benefit from the considerable opportunities it offers.
"A more skilled workforce will be essential to take advantage of the growth opportunity offered by London 2012 and to ensure hospitality and tourism continues to be a huge driver of our economy."
Brian Wisdom, chief executive of People 1st said of Fairhurst's appointment: "He has impeccable credentials and significant experience in developing people-focused agendas and is passionate in his commitment to the development of qualifications and training. His leadership will be of enormous benefit to People 1st.
"I would like to pay tribute to Don whose expertise, knowledge and contacts helped to establish People 1st with a clear strategic focus to deliver solutions for employers in its formative years. He also played a crucial role in guiding us through our relicensing process earlier this year and we will all continue to welcome his involvement in his new role."
