Alan Parker CBE is Chief Executive of Whitbread PLC, the UK's largest hotel and restaurant company. Whitbread operates market-leading businesses in the budget hotel and value restaurant sectors. Its well-known brands are Premier Inn, Beefeater, Brewers Fayre, Table Table, Taybarns and Costa.

Employing over 33,000 people at 600 hotels, 400 restaurants and 1000 coffee shops in the UK. Internationally the company operates Costa coffee stores in 26 countries and Premier Inn is expanding throughout the Middle East and India. Whitbread places great emphasis on improving the skills, expertise and performance of employees through industry-leading apprenticeship, training and development programmes