Mollie’s appoints new head of sales

Mollie’s, the fast-growing “hotel and diner concept” with locations in Oxford and Bristol, has appointed Lindsey Williams as head of sales for the South West region. This will span both properties and future earmarked local expansions. In her new role as head of sales, Williams will “apply her 25 years’ of industry experience in hospitality”. She has reportedly worked for top brands including The Doyle Collection, Accor Hotels, Shire Hotels, Thornbury Castle and Forte Hotels. Williams aims to increase Mollie’s share of the UK travel market, which is currently valued at £1.4bn with a 121.9% UK Market Size Growth. According to figures from the Global Travel Association, business travel spending increased 21% globally in 2021 with annual business travel spending predicted to surpass pre-pandemic levels by the end of 2024. Mollie’s said that Williams’ sales knowledge will be used to actualise the brand’s plans to roll out 100 more venues across the UK in the next 10 years. The brand’s bold growth trajectory aims to expand into a £550m-a-year revenue business, employing 6,000 people. The next project for Mollie’s is the opening of a 100sq ft Manchester destination. This location will reportedly be situated in the centre of Manchester and the venue will offer a 164-cover diner restaurant, cocktail bar, event space, lounge, and an outdoor terrace. The opening is earmarked for early-2023. Appointed by Mollie’s CEO Darren Sweetland, former EMEA finance director of Soho House and commercial finance at Tesco plc, Williams forms part of a “talented team responsible for actualising Sweetland’s vision - to forge a new type of travel that redefines the concept of stylish travel to be available for everyone”. Lindsey Williams, head of sales for Mollie’s, said: “I am delighted to be part of Mollie’s journey and these truly fabulous properties are ideal for the modern traveller. I look forward to working with individuals, businesses, and TMCs to support their corporate travel requirements. “Building relationships and providing the best possible service by understanding exactly what our clientele needs, is at the heart of what I do. It’s then about delivering above and beyond their expectations.” Darren Sweetland, CEO of Mollie’s, said: “We’re very excited to have Lindsey on board at Mollie’s. She brings an abundance of experience and expert knowledge of the corporate market, which is pivotal for our immediate growth plans. Long term, we look forward to growing Lindsey’s career, alongside the rapid growth of the Mollie’s brand.”