This week on Hospitality Meets, I had the absolute pleasure of sitting down with the brilliant Edward Gallier (Edd), Head of Learning & Development at Leonardo Hotels UK & Ireland and freshly minted Catey Award winner 2025

Edd’s career has been built on passion, purpose, and the odd bit of chaos (because what’s hospitality without it?). From wild award show mishaps to deep reflections on leadership and learning, this episode is a masterclass in how to stay grounded, laugh often, and never lose sight of what really matters.... people.

We talk about developing talent, the psychology of hospitality, resilience, and why laughter might just be the most underrated leadership skill there is.

It’s funny, thoughtful, and properly inspiring, everything you’d hope for from a conversation with one of hospitality’s brightest Learning & Development minds.

Key Takeaways

• Laughter Is a Leadership Tool: A good sense of humour builds connection faster than any training manual
• Learning Never Stops: The best leaders stay curious, and know how to make learning fun
• Resilience Is Everything: Success in hospitality means thriving through chaos, not avoiding it
• Culture Starts with Care: You don’t train people to leave, you train them to stay
• Hospitality Is Joy: Give it, share it, and receive it, that’s where the real magic is.

Memorable Quotes

"It’s a good job we’re not running something like a nuclear power station because, you know, let’s press that big green button, let’s see what that does” - Edd Gallier

“And you just saw this head rolling off the stage. It was saved, my colleague was quickly stuffing this head back on the mouse, just another day in Leonardo Awards evening life” - Edd Gallier

“To succeed in hospitality, the resilience, tenacity, the psychological and behavioural skills that you have to develop, not just to survive the shift, but to have an absolute blast, it’s a real skill.” - Edd Gallier

“You can put yourself into a position in this job where you’re just giving and receiving joy the whole time. I know that sounds whimsical, but I stand by the science behind it” - Phil Street

“You want to make sure that your team is super engaged and super passionate so you retain them as long as you can. You don’t train people to leave, you’re training and developing them to stay” - Edd Gallier

Final Thoughts

Edd's story is a celebration of humour, humanity, and heart. The very best of what hospitality can be.

From accidental comedy gold to leadership gold standards, his blend of warmth, wit, and wisdom makes this episode an instant favourite.

Show Partners

A big shout out to Today’s show partner, RotaCloud, the people management platform for shift-based teams.

RotaCloud lets managers create and share rotas, record attendance, and manage annual leave in minutes — all from a single, web-based app.

It makes work simple for your team, too, allowing them to check their rotas, request holiday, and even pick up extra shifts straight from their phones.

Try RotaCloud’s time-saving tools today by heading to https://rotacloud.com/phil

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