Dr Dawn Lawrence CBII MIH

Dr Dawn Lawrence is one of the most influential figures shaping the future of hospitality recruitment in the UK. As Founder of Hospitality Jobs UK (HJUK), she has spent more than two decades challenging how the industry attracts, values and retains talent—long before workforce shortages became headline news.

With a PhD in Hospitality Management and a career that bridges academia, operations and recruitment, Dawn brings rare depth to conversations about people strategy. She founded HJUK with a clear purpose: to create a recruitment platform built by hospitality professionals, for hospitality professionals—one that understands the realities of the industry rather than treating it like a numbers game.

Under her leadership, HJUK has grown into one of the UK’s most trusted hospitality recruitment platforms, supporting thousands of employers and candidates across hotels, restaurants, pubs, contract catering and beyond. Dawn has been a consistent advocate for fair pay, ethical recruitment, inclusive hiring practices and long-term career development—often challenging industry norms when they no longer serve people or businesses.

Alongside running HJUK, Dawn is a respected speaker, writer and commentator on hospitality employment, regularly contributing insight on skills shortages, migration, apprenticeships and workforce reform. Her work is grounded in evidence, experience and a deep belief that hospitality can—and must—do better by its people.

On Talking Hospitality, Dawn brings clarity, challenge and credibility to the conversation, offering practical insight into what sustainable recruitment really looks like when people sit at the centre of the strategy.