Testimonials

Upham Pub Company

Arthur Kloppers was employed as Operations Director for Upham Pubs from September 2013 to March 2017.

His initial brief was to focus on margins, payroll costs and overheads across the company as well as assisting with new openings and refurbishments of pubs, of which there were ten such projects during Arthur’s time with Upham.

He was in charge of supplier contracts and implemented site based controls, which greatly improved Food and Beverage Margins. Additionally supplier contracts provided an income fund to offset some of the central costs.

Arthur managed the implementation of the new Epos system which provided an interface with the PMS system already in place. He was also on the project team for the implementation of the S4 Labour system and as a result of these changes the business has seen improved reporting of both revenue and costs.

As the estate grew, Arthur took on direct responsibility for eight pubs, with a total turnover of £10m. In terms of direct reports, 8 managers and 8 head chefs reported to him, as well as the Rooms Revenue Manager and a central administrator.

Arthur recommended improvements to both existing and future room stock, which in combination with the employment of the dedicated room revenue manager enabled us to significantly improve on our room rates and lift targeted occupancy by some 7 % to an average of 75%.

He has excellent organisational and project management skills with a good eye for detail. He is a strong team player and continuously focusses on developing those around him. He has a high level of financial acumen and is very goal orientated/target driven individual.

Arthur is a very dedicated and trustworthy individual with a high level of personal integrity.

We thank Arthur for his valued contributions and wish him well for the future; we have no hesitation in recommending him to you.

Chris Phillips


Chief Executive
Upham Group

Corinthia Hotel

I had the pleasure and privilege to have worked with Arthur in the opening of the Corinthia Hotel in London (At the time I was COO of Corinthia Hotels). This was a difficult opening, due to the time constraints and the construction process. Arthur was able to manage this difficult situation very well, and found the best way possible to get what he needed and what was best for the company at all times.

He motivated the team and was a 'can-do' person. Nothing was too much and there was a solution to be found for everything.

His professionalism stood out and his knowledge of the hotel business and the different standards of the competitive hotels were always greatly appreciated.

I would recommend Arthur to anybody who would want to hire a dedicated, trustworthy and honest procurement professional, who understands what it takes to deliver quality on time and on budget.

I would rehire Arthur any time, should I be in the position to do so.

Marco P. Nijhof

Previous role:
Chief Operating Officer
CHI Hotels and Resorts

Maybourne Hotel Group (Claridge’s, The Connaught and The Berkeley)

In my experience Arthur is a professional and personable purchasing professional who is held in the highest regard by his colleagues and suppliers. Arthur is extremely knowledgeable in his area of expertise and has proved to be a tenacious negotiator who has been instrumental in delivering a number of valuable savings initiatives. Arthur is highly recommended.

Mike Bonner

Previous role:
Sales & Marketing Director
The Maybourne Group

Maybourne Hotel Group

Arthur is a well-respected seasoned professional in product procurement. A tough but fair negotiator with a strong ethic of delivering what the client wants at the best possible price, on time and without loss of quality.

Capable of leading the implementation of appropriate purchasing systems and instigating cost reduction opportunities wherever possible, Arthur comes highly recommended.

Clive Gibbons

Previous role:
Vice President Finance
Maybourne Hotel Group

Conran Restaurants

I employed Arthur as Group Purchasing Director for Conran Restaurants, giving him the brief to work closely with the key Operators (Chefs and General Managers) and identify opportunities to reduce the cost base/improve margins.

Through his initiatives we managed to find a balance between “Best Value”-Provenance-Quality- Consistency; additionally he made great impact in reducing the supplier base for both wine and food supply, which contributed to an overall improvement in the margins without affecting the offer to our guests.

In addition to the improvement in the margins, Arthur created an efficient Purchasing Department, which played a key role in the opening of new restaurants.

Arthur is a very good team player, and a shrewd negotiator and I have no hesitation recommending him.

Joel Kissin

Previous role:
Managing Director
Conran Restaurants