Acorn winners 2017: Cassie Delaney-Brown

Marketing manager, the Stafford London

Nominated by Stuart Procter, general manager, the Stafford London

Proudest moment "Playing a key role in the launch of the hotel's Game Bird restaurant and then seeing the fantastic guest responses and critic reviews come in."

Greatest inspiration "My parents inspired me to dream big and work hard to achieve my goals, but the team at Gough Hotels' the Angel hotel in Bury St Edmunds were a support to me during the start of my career."

Ambition "Short-term, to keep learning and developing. Long-term, to become director of marketing at a luxury hotel, perhaps overseas."

Cassie Delaney-Brown's marketing career started at a cracking pace. Graduating with a degree in international hospitality management, she began a trainee management programme at Gough Hotels and was quickly promoted to duty manager, overseeing a team of 20. Her skilful co-ordination of the group's rebranding got it onto the judges' shortlist for Best Marketing Campaign Award in the Cateys.

Other achievements followed, including being awarded Colleague of Exceptional Value at Grosvenor House Apartments by Jumeirah Living in 2014, thanks partly to a marketing plan that increased online revenue by 28%.

Now at London's five-star Stafford hotel, her talent and hard work has seen her increase PR coverage by 475% and boost online revenue by £2m in 2016, a 16% uplift on 2015. Responsible for a budget of £1.2m, Delaney-Brown manages a team of nine, including three global PR teams. More recently, she played an integral role in the launch of the hotel's Game Bird restaurant in March and the multimillion-pound refurbishment of the Carriage House rooms.

Delaney-Brown is keen to support others and she is a Springboard ambassador, helping the charity to recruit the next generation of hospitality employees. Her involvement in a fundraising dinner raised more than £17,000 for the Springboard IntoWork programme for disadvantaged young people in London.