Smart Group appoints Tom Goodwin as group managing director

Foodservice company Smart Group has appointed Tom Goodwin as group managing director for its catering division, Moving Venue.

Goodwin, a former chef, created his own luxury catering and events design company in 2007 called Stones Events. This is expected to join the company in 2018, sitting alongside Moving Venue and Smart Hospitality under the group umbrella.

He joined the group as a consultant in January 2017. The new role will see Goodwin oversee a re-brand of Moving Venue and contracts with venue Landing Forty Two and Battersea Evolution. He will also be responsible for developing the team and hiring new staff.

Chief executive of Smart Group, Greg Lawson, said: "The search for a suitable group managing director for our catering division was a long one as I wanted to find someone that would eat, sleep, breathe and live the product - someone who was truly passionate about food and service. I have watched Tom with real interest as he is a chef by trade and sees the business through a chef's eyes which is exactly the level of detail needed for the role."

Goodwin said: "I'm thrilled to be joining such a reputable, respected and trusted company within the industry. Within my recent role as a consultant I found the team to be passionate, dynamic and enormously skilled. Having engaged in a number of discussions with Greg about the future of the Moving Venue brand and my role as consultant, the move as group managing director of the catering division was a challenge that I simply could not say no to."

Smart Group is the sole in-house caterer for several venues across the capital including Landing Forty Two and Here East. The group has hosted, catered or managed, over 250 events worth in excess of £20m in revenue.

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