Carrie Wicks steps down as CEO of Leeu Collection

Carrie Wicks has stepped down as chief executive of Leeu Collection, the South African-based group of luxury hotels she joined in October 2016.

She told The Caterer that the parting was amicable, but that she has decided that she did not want to spend so much time away from London.

Leeu Collection, which owns three luxury boutique hotels in Franschhoek, South Africa, and the four-AA-star, 30-bedroom Linthwaite House hotel, overlooking Lake Windermere, Cumbria, announced in April that it was going to develop a 100-bedroom hotel in London. It is also in the process of converting a former boarding school in Florence, Italy, into a 70-bedroom luxury hotel.

Wicks said that the two new hotels are not expected to open for around four years and she is keen to be involved in running hotels on an operational basis that are closer to home.

"I decided that the position is not going to really work for me," she explained. "While I love to travel, I didn't want to be doing it all the time for work."

Wicks added that Analjit Singh, the owner of Leeu Collection, is now considering appointing an area general manager to look after the hotels in South Africa.

Meanwhile, Wicks, who was previously operations director at Firmdale Hotels for 19 years until January 2016, intends to consult for the Leeu Collection, as well as take on other projects.

Leeu Collection to develop its first London hotel >>

Firmdale's former operations director Carrie Wicks appointed CEO of Leeu Collection >>

Carrie Wicks leaves Firmdale Hotels >>

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