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All panelists agreed that it is vital to be
able to continue to bring people into
the UK to work in our industry, and
a ‘big picture’ immigration structure
is required. Ufi Ibrahim urged the
Government to give a clear message that
every EU migrant worker already in the
UK is welcome to stay.
Ian Wright urged the Government to play
it slow and to ensure a robust exit plan is
in place before invoking Article 50. With
only two years to Brexit from Article 50,
a timeframe that other EU leaders are
unlikely to extend, there is a terrible
prospect of legislative work not being
completed in this short period.
Other areas of debate included food
costs, with increases inevitable, and the
strategy for the post-Brexit repatriation of
the regulatory framework, which is thus
far undecided between a ‘life and shift’ or
a ‘blank paper’ approach.
‘We need time’ was a call echoed by all of
the panelists. Time to address and prepare
for all the changes that Brexit will bring.
(However, just two days after the Arena
Face2Face, Theresa May confirmed that
Article 50 will be invoked by March 2017.)
Alastair Stewart Face2Face with
Dennis Hogan MD, Compass Group UK & Ireland
Arena’s ‘Face2Face’ veteran Alastair Stewart OBE (below, left) inimitably
introduced his interviewee for his fifteenth Arena interview, Dennis Hogan
(below, right), the managing director of Compass Group UK & Ireland.
After 17 years with Compass Group North
America, Hogan joined the UK & Ireland
business in 2014. He had held a range of
operational and finance roles. Most recently,
he was CEO of Canteen Vending Services for
Compass Group North America.
Originally a ‘number cruncher’, Hogan
was in touch with many areas of the US
business, particularly in his ‘mergers and
acquisitions’ role, and he relished the
action and excitement of operations.
This drove his progression to be a
passionate caterer. His roots are not
forgotten, however, as he works to drive
efficiency without compromising on
quality.
On moving to the UK, his first
observations were that business feels
more personal here, and there is a strong
emphasis on res