Kellie Rixon MBE FIH

Kellie started her career in the hospitality and leisure business. With a passion for people development, Kellie moved into HR within retail clothes giant TK Maxx. She joined De Vere hotels as head of learning and development in 2002.

In 2009 Kellie founded the De Vere academy of hospitality from her kitchen table. It was a ground breaking initiative which saw almost 13,000 young people from the furthest part of the society trained and gain employment in the hospitality sector. In 2012 she was awarded two honouree fellowships and an MBE for services to the hospitality industry in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List.

Kellie joined the Executive Board of Macdonald Hotels & Resorts in early 2014 as group brand director, then people development director. A few years later she made the decision to leave and set up her own HR consultancy.

Over 6 years ago Kellie’s life changed when a hit and run driver nearly took the life of her youngest son, driving them off the road on a snowy night and into the path of an oncoming freight train. Kellie says “It changed how I view everything including my approach to change, overcoming adversity and how I see challenges in life. It helped me and the messages I share and the lessons I’ve learnt seem to really help others.”

Kellie’s speaking topics support this way of thinking of problems and your own life challenges. How you cope when your freight train hits. Her speeches are motivational, uplifting and inspiring. Kellie says “There’s metal inside us all – you just have to use it to give you strength when you need it most.”
Speaking topics:

• Doing something brave
• Overcoming adversity
• Dealing with change
• Leadership
• Entrepreneurialism
• Project Management
• Sales and Marketing