Stepping down from his 14-year reign as publisher of the Caterer magazine, Lewis has vast experience of both the hospitality industry and HA - having been a trustee for over ten years.

He said: “I’ve been fortunate enough to witness first-hand the invaluable work HA does to help current and retired industry professionals and their families in times of need. It’s a charity I have been proud to support for the past twelve years.

"Penny has been an outstanding chief executive for well over a decade, more than doubling turnover and growing exponentially the number of beneficiaries the charity supports.

“Now I relish the chance to build on her success and ensure HA assists even more people in future. I’ll be on a mission to spread the word about HA more widely around the industry it serves, and so achieve a virtuous circle, whereby more supporters means more turnover - and more turnover means more beneficiaries.

“And I look forward to growing the footprint of HA’s excellent employee assistance programme and welfare services.”

Chair of the board of trustees, William Baxter added: “I am delighted to welcome Mark to Hospitality Action. His background from within the industry and understanding of the charity will enable him to develop and grow Hospitality Action in the future.”