Adele Oxberry MIoD FLPI FCFE

Adele Oxberry is a highly respected leader in hospitality training and apprenticeships, with a career built on improving skills, standards and long-term career pathways across the sector. As CEO of Umbrella Training, she has spent more than two decades working with employers to develop talent, strengthen retention and raise professional capability across hospitality and the wider service industry.

Beginning her career on the frontline, Adele’s move into learning and development was driven by a clear belief that hospitality performs best when people are properly supported, trained and given room to progress. Under her leadership, Umbrella Training has grown into one of the UK’s most established apprenticeship providers, partnering with independent operators, multi-site businesses and national brands.

Adele is widely recognised for her deep understanding of apprenticeship funding and reform, and for her ability to translate complex policy into practical, workable solutions for employers and learners. She is a consistent voice in national conversations around skills, inclusion, social mobility and engagement with NEETs, often advocating for clearer pathways and stronger collaboration between industry, education and government.

Beyond Umbrella Training, Adele plays an active role in industry partnerships and professional bodies, contributing insight that helps shape the future of hospitality training at both strategic and operational levels.

On Talking Hospitality, Adele brings clarity, credibility and straight-talk to discussions around apprenticeships, focusing on what genuinely helps businesses invest in people and build resilient, sustainable teams.