Portico, the specialist provider of high quality, tailored guest services, is delighted to announce the appointment of David Bevens as Head of Learning and Development.

Starting in January, Bevens’s role is to build on the work already being carried out through Portico’s Learning & Development Academy. In the early stages, he will be meeting as many Portico people as possible and analysing the business’s learning needs – this will underpin the design and delivery of future learning activity to ensure it is enjoyable, interactive and relatable, as well as in line with the company’s values.

In addition to providing crucial developmental support to Portico colleagues, Bevens will also be responsible for establishing an external commercial learning and development product that can be taken to the wider hospitality and security market.

Outlining his vision for Portico’s learning and development function, Bevens said: “I want to build a culture of excitement around learning in the organisation. I want our offering to make a proud declaration about our commitment to understanding and respecting that we all learn differently and the importance of diversity, equality, equity, inclusion and belonging at Portico.

“I also want to provide opportunities for those who may be interested in a career in learning and development to get involved in our activities so we have a pipeline of talent who can support our portfolio moving forwards.”

Bevens joins Portico from ISS Facility Services UK where he spent more than a decade, serving most recently as Behavioural Change Manager. He has also recently completed a Doctorate in Work-Based Learning from the University of Middlesex.

Paul Jackson, Managing Director at Portico added: “Learning and development is at the heart of our culture. David’s passion for helping people to shine, along with his experience already gained in this industry made him the perfect person for this hugely important role.

“Hospitality has and always will be a sector that is defined by its people. With David on board, I am confident that our Learning & Development Academy can continue to support our colleagues and inspire them to reach new heights with the company.”

In our latest Portico People series, we spoke with David to learn more about his vision and plans for Portico.

Tell us about your role? My role is to drive and champion our Portico Learning & Development Academy, building on the excellent work we already have. From analysing our business learning needs to research, design, delivery and evaluation I want to ensure all learning activity strongly links to our values and is enjoyable, interactive and relatable. My role is also responsible for establishing an external commercial learning and development product that can be taken to market. We have a significant breadth of experience and expertise within the learning and development team that can support other organisations. Supporting our wonderful Portico colleagues will always be my first priority but external consultancy may bring multiple benefits to all involved.

Tell us a bit about yourself: Massive Strictly Come Dancing fan, I know almost every episode of Poirot line by line and I love reading, particularly historical fiction and biographies. I also enjoy watching old films. What else? I enjoy travel, theatre and opera. Animal charities are close to my heart so supporting Portico’s corporate charity Veterans with Dogs is absolutely on my radar too! What motivates me? Meeting new people, solving challenges, helping people shine. 

What is your vision for Portico and its L&D function? I want to build a culture of excitement around learning in the organisation. I want our offering to make a proud declaration about our commitment to understanding and respecting that we all learn differently and the importance of diversity, equality, equity, inclusion and belonging at Portico. I also want to provide opportunities for those who may be interested in a career in learning and development to get involved in our activities so we have a pipeline of talent who can support our portfolio moving forwards.

What makes a Portico person stand out? Every person I have met in my opening few weeks has ended our first conversation with the same thing, ‘If you need anything, mail me or call me, always happy to help’. The support has been overwhelming. I am already feeling a total sense of ‘we are one team’ – whether you work in operations, recruitment, frontline at a client site, learning and development or anywhere else, the collaboration and togetherness is wonderful. What makes a Portico person stand out? An unashamed desire to be brilliant and a proactive mindset that seeks to find evolving ways to surprise and delight our clients.

Where would you like Portico learning and development pathways to be in the end of 2023? As well as adding new modules to an already robust collection of learning, I would like the business to feel we have been both proactive and reactive. Proactive in the sense of recommending learning content that supports evolving excellence for our teams and clients but also reactive to emerging needs and focus areas.

What makes an amazing guest services professional? For me, it’s all about SPHERE – Sincerity, Pride, Heart, Empathy, Resilience and Energy. They’re all important, but for me pride is particularly significant. I want to engage with guest services professionals who truly understand the power of what they do. I want to see my Portico colleagues owning their space and being proud of the contribution they make to someone’s working day.

What advice would you give to a new starter in Portico? Feel safe and empowered to bring your whole self to work. Portico’s culture is about delivering excellence through celebrating the authenticity of every colleague. Ask questions and enjoy your role. Appreciate and celebrate that every Portico colleague is integral to making the magic happen.