London's Lansdowne Club appoints new Chief Executive Officer & Secretary

Designed and built in 1763 by Robert Adam, Lansdowne House became a social club in 1935. The Lansdowne Club has admitted men and women with equal social status since its doors opened. Today it is considered one of the most exclusive and traditional private Members' clubs in London. Standing discreetly at the south-west corner of London's Berkeley Square, The Lansdowne Club is ideally located in Mayfair, at the heart of London's West End. Buckingham Palace; Piccadilly Circus; art galleries, including the Royal Academy of Arts and The National Gallery; and theatreland are all a short walk or taxi ride away from the Club.

In normal times, the Club offers a convivial and lively social scene, with gourmet evenings; art, music and cultural events; balls and parties as well as social networking events. Members enjoy an elegant and refined Art Deco Dining Room, the ‘al fresco’ Courtyard, and the historical but contemporary Round Room Cocktail Bar.

The Club offers a wide range of sports opportunities for its Members. They have a fully-equipped gym; 25-yard Art Deco indoor swimming pool; fencing salle; three squash courts and a range of fitness classes. The Lansdowne Club also offers a range of accommodation for overnight stays, from suites to their standard and single rooms.

The Club came to Society seeking to appoint a new Chief Executive Officer & Secretary. The role plays an integral part in ensuring the club continues to be a dynamic and entrepreneurial player within clubland. Whilst the continued development of this historical Club is key to the success of this role, a desire to deliver an outstanding Membership experience is the primary focus. The Club Membership is diverse and covers a wide range of professions and interests. Considerable effort and focus has gone into attracting and maintaining this broad demographic of Members, yet this makes the job of managing expectations and driving initiatives complex. Society reached out globally to new contacts and old, throughout clubland, paying close attention to London’s exclusive network, as well as to professionals from the luxury hospitality landscape in and around the capital. Progressing with competent leaders who demonstrated an understanding of member-driven, luxury organisations, we gradually narrowed the field to a group of inspiring individuals excited at the prospect of taking the reins at one of London’s top clubs.

The incoming Chief Executive Officer & Secretary is now confirmed as David Herbert. With an extensive background in upscale hospitality, David brings a wealth of relevant experience to this role. His knowledge and expertise built in areas such as luxury hotels, fine dining, and leading business strategy makes him a reliable choice to take the Club forward in the challenging and uncertain near future. David comes from his most recent position leading business operations at the Ritz Club and begins his new journey with the Lansdowne Club in 2021.

David Herbert commented:

“The Lansdowne is a fantastic club, with its unrivalled sporting and social facilities, prime Mayfair location, strong membership base, committed and talented staff and a robust balance sheet. It feels such a privilege to be appointed Chief Executive Officer & Secretary at The Lansdowne Club and even more so in these unprecedented times. I am really excited about having the opportunity to work with the team and Council to lead the Club into the next stage of its strategic development and further enhance the Membership experience.

James and his team at Society have been enormously supportive, offering both professional and friendly advice throughout the selection process and I would have no hesitation in working with Society for the Club’s future recruitment needs.”

Phoebe Toping, the Chair of the Nominations Committee, added:

‘This is probably the most important appointment the Lansdowne has made in the last ten years, given the enormous difficulties faced by the hospitality industry at the moment, and we were very keen to get it right. We are absolutely delighted to have appointed David with James’s expert guidance and support, and feel he is a very worthy candidate to entrust with the running of our club. We are all very much looking forward to working with him.”