Experts in the business of hospitality
We bring together experts from the world of hospitality and restaurants to help our clients and venture partners realise the value of food and beverage in their business. Our work and experience is diverse from supporting established restaurant brands define their future strategy to hotel companies on specific asset development; with farmers and estate owners on rural diversification and real estate developers to consider all the options.
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Our team are hospitality leaders in their own right, much more than consultants, we own and operate our own businesses, sit on the boards of many companies and have extensive global experience in our sector. Working with us you know you are in safe hands.
We bring an extensive black book of contacts to our projects, as well as preferred partners covering an array of services, helping us to tackle almost any brief. We specialise in the thinking, defining the right strategy and challenging thinking.
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We blend broad industry knowledge and established expertise with data and research, providing recommendations that will have an impact commercially. We see our role as one of empowering leaders, helping you, rather than creating an ongoing need for us and our services.
Meet the team
Heleri Rande
Partner
London, UK & Tallinn, Estonia
Originally from Estonia, Heleri has lived in seven countries and holds a Bachelor’s Degree from New York University in Economics and Business, as well as an executive MBA in Hospitality Administration from École Hôtelière de Lausanne (EHL) in Switzerland.
After leading Puccini Group’s growth in EMEA for two years after graduation, she has partnered with Think Hospitality to deliver on F&B strategy projects helping brands and owners assess the market, find the right concept positioning and/or operator and chef for the properties through strategic advice and review. Her focus is mostly on hotel and mall development projects with a portfolio that includes the likes of Accor, Hilton, Kempinski, EC4 Hotels, SuperCity Group, Puro Hotels and Peel Holdings.
She is the Consulting Editor of Supper Magazine and programme director at various major hospitality events around the world. She co-founded Ideas-Flavours-Experiences, the leading gastronomy event in the Baltics and the New Baltic Hospitality Forum, the first hotel focused event in the region. Heleri also sits on the board of the Global Restaurant Investment Forum and is the Stammvater of the UK Chapter of EHL Alumni Network.
James Hacon​​
Founding Partner
Edinburgh, UK
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James is a leading name in hospitality growth, marketing & brand strategy, he has been an executive, board member, investor and consultant in the hospitality and restaurant technology sector for the past twenty years, having worked with more than 80 hospitality brands in dozens of countries, from independent Michelin starred restaurants to leading restaurant brands, international hotel companies, contract caterers and investors.
Having worked in operations, insight, development, marketing, people and executive leadership, he combines 360° cross-disciplinary experience with an intellectual strategic mind set.
He is regularly called upon for industry foresight, as a commentator, writer, speaker & facilitator; being featured by the BBC, New York Times, The Guardian, Wall Street Journal, LBC, ITV, Al Jazeera & Radio Australia. He guides study tours, leads workshops and travels extensively all around the world for work giving him a unique insight into global restaurant trends and the very best hospitality brands.
His brand experience includes Just Eat Takeaway, Sodexo, Compass Group, Krispy Kreme, Costa Coffee, Diageo, AMREST, Jamie Oliver Group, Wagamama, Sysco, Greene King, Gleneagles, Big Table Group, Greggs, Pret and IHG.
He is the founder of the Restaurant Marketer & Innovator event series; long-time advisor to the Global Restaurant Investment Forum; has moderated UN Dialogue Discussions relating to hospitality; is an advisor to two UK-based charities supporting young and vulnerable people into the hospitality workforce; and has been actively involved in advocating for hospitality education reform across Europe & APAC. He has an infectious passion for the hospitality industry and champions the value it brings as a vehicle of economic growth and catalyst of social change.
Michael Ingemann
Partner & Chairman
Copenhagen, Denmark
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Michael has a deep and extensive experience leading and improving businesses across Europe. Working hands-on with investors and management teams in the food and hospitality sectors on developing ambitious but achievable strategies, and then getting all the business elements right for executing the plans and achieving the goals.
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After completing his MBA from Dartmouth College in the US, he spent a number of years with the consulting firm McKinsey & Company, as founder/CEO of technology firms in Scandinavia and the UK, and working with private equity firms across Europe.
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He is the chairman, director or advisor of a number of restaurants (from casual to Michelin starred), food, tech and communications companies in the UK, Scandinavia, the US & South America, giving him unique perspectives on what works and what doesn't - and a deep respect for the unique qualities and challenges of each individual business.
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Michael is the non-executive chairman of Claus Meyer Holding, trustee & non-executive director of the Melting Pot Foundation, non-executive chairman of RSVP, non-executive director of Relations People & advisory board member of Rockstart AgriFood Accelerator.
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Erin Robb
Partner
Edinburgh, UK
Erin has worked in hospitality her whole career and is an expert on customer experience and managing customer service teams. Her background stretches across hospitality within multi-site restaurant groups, independent restaurants and hotels in the UK, New Zealand & Australia, including a Michelin starred outlet.
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Her experience includes setting up a central reservation team for a 22 site restaurant group, rolling out customer feedback solutions, implementing a hotel reservation system across multiple properties and setting up front of house teams.
She has a calm and approachable manner, making her the perfect addition to the THINK Hospitality team, specialising in operational implementation and client engagement.
Laura Vana
Associate Partner
Tallinn, Estonia
Laura holds a Master’s Degree from Copenhagen University in Food Innovation and Health. After heading the Research and Development at Siigur Restaurant Group she is now helping brands with marketplace research, menu design & development, recipe development, digitisation of the operations and HACCP plans. She also has significant experience working with hospitality technology solutions, supporting go-to-market strategy and deployment.
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She is also experienced in marketing project management, competitor and market analysis as well as public speaking. In May 2019, Laura presented in Tel Aviv’s TEDx on “Kids- Play With Your Food.”
David Singleton
Associate Partner​
Dubai, UAE
David has led and developed organisations around the world working with some of the world's best known and loved F&B brands in 40 countries. Through his Dubai based Oraculi practice he is a strategic advisor to brands, organisations, teams and ambitious senior executives in growth mode.
David's experience in the F&B world has extended to wide ranging sectors from foodtech to private equity investment and wider consumer brands. He is considered an expert on matters of franchise development and globalisation. In 2022 he was included in the Caterer Middle East’s ‘Power List’ of restauranteurs and entrepreneurs who push the boundaries of region’s F&B scene and pioneers that are helping the industry reach the next level of technological advancement.
David is a non executive director and board room advisor and combines his work as a leadership and transformational coach working with c-suite leaders and teams, supporting boardrooms with challenge, and perspective to stimulate powerful ambition to deliver exceptional results
Christian Hall
Associate Partner & Accountant
York, UK
Christian is a ‘big 4 trained’ chartered accountant and experienced company director, having been a Finance Director in businesses with revenues in excess of £150m. He has international experience working with quick growing companies, successfully supporting the businesses through their key acceleration stage, implementing systems, processes and models.
Beyond the pure role of a finance director, Christian’s experience and knowledge stretches into the realms of commercial, purchasing, property & development projects. He works with businesses holistically to drive shareholder value, analysing and making the most of opportunities, recognising costs savings and streamlining workflows.​
Christian is also highly experienced at working with businesses to support them through investment due diligence for venture capital, private equity or bank funding, having led refinancing and investment rounds in excess of £10m. He was central to developing a business through to an exit of $106m.
Christian is a partner at Azets accountancy practice and works with Think Hospitality as an associate partner.
Bridie Fox
Consultant
Leeds, UK
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Bridie has a broad experience of working within finance, operations and project management within Thai Leisure Group as it grew from 5 to 21 sites.
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PRINCE2® qualified, Bridie heads projects and overseeing day to day contact within our ventures.