Newcastle upon Tyne, England, United Kingdom, September 2025 – Claire Gormanley has been appointed as Head of People at Cairn Group, a leading UK-based hospitality company. In her new role, Claire will lead the people agenda across Cairn’s portfolio, supporting over 2,500 employees across 37 properties, with a focus on enhancing organizational culture, driving HR transformation, and shaping an employee-first approach to talent and operations.
Prior to joining Cairn Group, Claire Gormanley served as Human Resources Change Partner at Whitbread, where she led key people transformation initiatives for the UK & Ireland Corporate and Operational teams. She spearheaded strategies for well-being, large-scale organizational change (including TUPE, consultations, and redundancies), and contributed to the company’s UK Top Employers Award submissions.
Before that, she worked at Aimbridge Hospitality EMEA as Human Resources Director, where she managed HR agendas for 17 ownership groups, secured HR shared services contracts, and contributed to inclusive policy reform and leadership competency rollouts. Her ability to navigate complex stakeholder ecosystems and drive measurable business impact through HR strategy was central to her success.
Claire also held various HR leadership roles at Interstate Hotels & Resorts, including HRBP – Region 1 UK & Ireland, and served earlier in her career at Tesco for over 20 years, rising through the ranks from Customer Assistant to HR Business Partner, where she honed her expertise in human capital development, employee relations, and retail workforce planning.
Claire holds a Master’s degree in Human Resources Management from the University of Hertfordshire, further strengthening her academic foundation in strategic HR leadership.
About Cairn Group
Cairn Group is one of the UK’s leading hospitality companies with over 60 years of experience in hotel acquisition, management, and development. Operating across 37 properties nationwide, Cairn Group partners with some of the world’s most recognized brands to deliver world-class guest experiences. With a workforce of over 2,500 people, Cairn continues to invest in its people, properties, and processes to remain at the forefront of UK hospitality. The group is known for its strong values, customer-centric focus, and a long-standing commitment to operational excellence and innovation.
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