Restaurant Associates Group has announced the promotion of Natalie Hulme to its Executive Team, recognising her leadership in strengthening client relationships and driving long-term business growth across the organisation.
Having been appointed Director of Strategic Accounts last year, Hulme has played a key role in developing the group’s approach to strategic client management, focusing on building deeper partnerships and supporting long-term success rather than concentrating solely on contract renewals.
In her role, Hulme leads the Strategic Accounts team, which works independently of day-to-day operations to provide clients with dedicated strategic support. The team focuses on understanding clients’ evolving priorities, identifying future opportunities and developing tailored plans that operational teams can deliver against.
Hulme said the independent structure allows the team to spend more time listening to clients, gathering insights from across the business and wider market, and translating those conversations into practical strategies that support long-term success.
The approach has delivered significant results. Over the past three years, Restaurant Associates Group has retained more than £500 million of business across its strategic accounts portfolio, with more than seven in ten clients choosing to renew their contracts before entering a formal tender process.
Rather than waiting until contract renewals, the Strategic Accounts team becomes involved much earlier through structured business reviews, client listening sessions and collaborative planning, ensuring innovation and continuous improvement remain central throughout each partnership.
Alongside strengthening client relationships, Hulme has also focused on developing talent within the business through targeted training programmes, mentoring initiatives and participation in Compass Group’s NextGen programme, helping to build the next generation of commercial leaders.
Looking ahead, Hulme plans to further evolve the Strategic Accounts function by embedding it throughout the entire client journey, from onboarding and strategic planning through to contract renewal and beyond.
The new partnership model will bring the Strategic Accounts team into regular strategic reviews, joint planning sessions and long-term renewal planning, creating closer collaboration between client retention specialists and operational teams.
The appointment reflects Restaurant Associates Group’s wider ambition to build lasting partnerships with clients by combining expertise across hospitality, foodservice, front-of-house services and environmental, social and governance initiatives to support both operational performance and future business objectives.
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