David McKown, director of skills conferences at the University of Sheffield, commented: "We are delighted that Roy will open the 15th annual Skills for Chefs Conference and our inaugural Skills for Service Conference. He opened the very first conference in 1998 and it is fitting for the occasion that we welcome him back to Sheffield." Ackerman is an internationally recognised figure in the hospitality industry. He represented Britain over four continents as chairman of the World Master of Culinary Arts and was awarded an OBE in 1990 for his contribution to tourism and training while chairman of the Restaurant Association of Great Britain. Subsequently he served an additional five years as president of the Restaurant Association of Great Britain and 10 years as the chairman of the Hotel & Catering Training Board. He is also now president of the Academy of Food & Wine Service. In recent years he has helped or backed leading chefs such as Giorgio Locatelli, Theo Randall, and Maitre d' Elena Salvoni with whom he set up a restaurant under her name. In 2000 he was awarded a CBE for services to gastronomy. The Skills for Chef Conference features a host of cutting edge chefs including Alan Murchison, Kenny Atkinson, Shaun Rankin, Galton Blackiston and Paul Foster who have all taken part in the BBC's Great British Menu. The new Skills for Service Conference takes place over the same two days – July 9-10 – and includes presentations from Fred Sirieix, Gerard Basset and many more. Full details are available at: www.skillsforchefs.co.uk / www.skillsforservice.co.uk