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Tevin Tobun, CEO of GV Group (Gate Ventures), has been named as one of the UK’s top 100 leaders who are removing barriers to success for ethnic minority employees.

Tobun, who was one of the highest ranking leaders from the hospitality sector, has been included in the 2020 EMpower ethnic minority list – which celebrates individuals from a broad range of sectors and professions.

All of the ethnic minority leaders were nominated by peers and colleagues, with nominations then reviewed by EMpower’s judging panel. Each person was scored on the influence of their role, their impact on ethnic minority inclusion inside and outside the workplace, and their business achievements.

Tobun, who founded the business in 2001, was commended for leading a diverse senior management team – both in terms of ethnicity and gender, and the lengths the company goes to ensure that all staff are communicated to via tools which are sensitive to their cultural needs.

Outside of his business, Tobun chairs a charity called Inspirational You, which provides guidance to people of BAME background starting out in business through a range of initiatives, such as work experience, mentoring and business workshops.

He recently chaired an Inspirational You event at the Houses of Parliament, designed to help young people understand the challenges of the world. Tobun is the only black board member of Middlesex University, a university with over 60% ethnic minority.

Along with other members, he encouraged the university to set up a buddy system to support new students throughout their first year, helping in particular the inclusion and retention of foreign students.

He regularly contributes to university workshops and events, focusing on employment opportunity for students. Tobun also chairs and sponsors a university scholarship programme for people from underprivileged backgrounds, and is a patron of Springboard.

GV Group (Gate Ventures) is the holding company behind a number of brands, including Foodmove and Platebox, offering logistics services to the foodservice sector.

Tobun said: “I’m delighted to be part of what is a very distinguished list of individuals from across all sectors.

“For me, the work we do is fundamentally about creating an environment where people can succeed. Ethnicity shouldn’t be seen as a barrier; difference is actually a strength.

“We are making great strides as a society but there is still much to be done.”

Our Group CEO, Tevin Tobun was one of a number of high-profile business leaders to speak to young people at a special event held at the House of Commons last week.

Introduced by Diane Abbott MP, the ‘Young Men – Letter to My 15-Year Old Self’ discussion focused on the career paths of professionals in competitive industries, including legal, tech and entertainment.

Produced by London-based social enterprise Inspirational YOU, of which Tobun is chair, the event was aimed at students and graduates aged 14 and over.

Tobun was selected to offer advice on how to climb the ladder and succeed in business, as well as insight into what it’s like to work in the hospitality industry.

The young delegation also heard tips on balancing work, personal life and wellbeing and the importance of having a career mentor and sponsor.

Formed in March 2010, Inspirational YOU is an award winning provider of inspiring, educational, informative and networking events.

Its programme of activities are designed to motivate and inspire participants by connecting them to leaders and businesses, with events attended by SME’s, community groups, enterprise agencies, charities, schools, colleges, universities and regulatory bodies.

GV Group works across the commercial and public sectors to deliver food and food-related based supplies to restaurants, cafes, hotel groups, as well as schools and healthcare establishments.

Tobun said: “I welcome any opportunity to help young people achieve their career aspirations. It is really important for business leaders to spend time with young people to show them that there are a multitude of roles within hospitality which can enable them to build and develop a successful career.

Read what our CEO, Tevin Tobun, had to say about face-to-face networking in a recent blog published by UK Hospitality.

Full text is below.

Hospitality is one of the few industries that can never be truly replaced by the virtual world.

Human interaction, or service, can never be replicated through a device or technology. It drives everything we do as a sector.

Of course, as every operator knows, a lot more goes into running a hospitality business than simply delivering good service, be that in catering, accommodation and everything else in between. Think recruitment and training; managing supplier relationships; seeking and winning new business opportunities.

In today’s digital age, all of these can in many ways be dealt with at the touch of a button, thanks to the countless tech tools on the market claiming to enable operators to get on with the business of good hospitality.

From social media, instant messaging, emails and video conferencing to online stock management, and web-based training portals, there are myriad back-of-house tech services that support commercial success.

But tempting as it might be, these digital interactions should never be a complete substitute for face-to-face communication, of which the advantages are plenty.

Relationships are what a good hospitality business is built on. In-person networking is immediate. It enables discussion, speeds up communication and lets you reach mutual understandings more quickly, rather than spend time waiting between digital responses. It can be more honest and transparent than digital interactions, which in turn can lead to stronger, longer lasting relationships as a result.

Face-to-face networking also comes with the subtle social cues – such as body language, intonation and expression – that are absent from written digital messages.

Technology can never take the place of the personal touch either. Real world interactions enable both parties to showcase their sparkling personalities, providing valuable insights that will help foster an understanding of sales prospects, potential customers, future recruits and more.

From a personal perspective, this is something we do ever day.

As part of role on the Board of Arena, I have access to a broad range of senior contacts through their events. These relationships can, of course, be initiated and developed ‘virtually’ but having that face-time has been vital. My ability to network directly via Arena has helped me generate significant contracts.

Being adept at in-person networking has the potential to set you apart from your competitors as digital communication becomes evermore commonplace. The more technologically advanced we become, both in our business and personal lives, the more vital it is to develop the type of human connections that the virtual world can never deliver.

What digital communications can save you in time and resource, could cost you in opportunities if conducted in isolation because there will always be a crucial place for face-to-face networking. Savvy operators demonstrate their understanding of this with a comprehensive networking strategy that encompasses all the tools at their disposal.

As an industry, hospitality has never forgotten the value of face-to-face interactions with our customers and clients. I don’t believe it ever will.

Tevin Tobun, CEO of our parent company, GV Group, was a keynote speaker at the Arena Summer event. He shared his business story and offered guests insight into his journey as an entrepreneur.

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