The well-established hotelier was the only CEO from the Scottish hospitality industry to be nominated, and, despite strong competition, was awarded ‘CEO of the Year’ at the ceremony held in Glasgow.

The inaugural awards aimed to shine a spotlight on professional and business services, covering various sectors within Scotland such as legal services, management consultancy, advertising and market research.

Mr Wayne-Wills took on the role at Crerar Hotels Group at the start of 2020, leading the Scottish hotel brand through Covid-19 and successfully reopening all seven hotels and inns following multiple lockdowns, in what was an incredibly difficult time for the hospitality sector. Despite the pandemic, he recruited a new executive team to reposition the hotel group and secured significant investment in several of the portfolio’s hotels and inns including Isle of Mull Hotel & Spa, Glencoe Inn, and Balmoral Arms, to name a few.

With a strong focus on people, Mr Wayne-Wills restructured the fair fund for all colleagues, giving back for their hard work while also developing the Crerar Hotels Academy to focus on skill development and career progression for team members.

In 2023, Crerar Hotels was awarded the title of ‘Small Hotel Group of the Year’ at the prestigious AA Hospitality Awards in recognition of the hotel group’s repositioning and success in recent years.

Mr Wayne-Wills is no stranger to recognition for his work, both within his business and across the sector. He is currently the Scottish chair of UK Hospitality, the country’s largest hospitality trade body and last year was awarded the title of the UK’s ‘Most Influential Hotels Group CEO of the Year’ 2023 by CEO Monthly Magazine.

He is also a Master Innholder and a trustee of HIT Scotland, a fellow of the Institute of Hospitality and sits on the Institute of Hospitality Scotland committee.

Mr Wayne-Wills said: “It was a privilege to attend the first Scottish Professional Awards and to represent the Crerar Hotel Group. The event was a wonderful opportunity to meet many of Scotland’s leading business professionals.

“I was nominated alongside a group of impressive individuals, so I am thrilled to have won the title of CEO of the Year.

“However, this has been a team achievement, the successes that we have at Crerar Hotels Group, we have achieved together as a team, and I could not be prouder to pick up this award and represent the hospitality industry at such a prestigious award ceremony.”