For the second year, Heidrick & Struggles has partnered with the British Hospitality Association to conduct interviews with chief executives from hospitality, the United Kingdom’s fourth-largest industry. Our latest report, Leading through Complexity: A View from Hospitality CEOs, is a culmination of interviews with CEOs who are collectively responsible for more than £30 billion in sales and over 850,000 employees.

Compared with our 2015 report, Leading through Uncertainty, these CEOs have, as a whole, moved from a majority-optimistic to a more neutral stance on the UK’s economic outlook, especially in advance of this year’s EU referendum, to be held this June. A majority of leaders fear that uncertainty about Brexit will affect their businesses this year, and they share their predictions as to the outcome of the vote.

Among other findings, we learned that hospitality CEOs remain concerned about terrorism and heightened security threats, and believe that politicians are out of touch in their understanding of the hospitality sector and its wider importance to the UK economy.

For the full report, click the download link above.

About the authors

Sophy Bouverat (sbouverat@heidrick.com) is an engagement manager in Heidrick & Struggles’ London office.

Ben Twynam (btwynam@heidrick.com) is a partner in the London office and leads the Hospitality & Leisure Sector in the UK. He is a member of the British Hospitality Association.