Butler Household Manager (Trained British Style)

Gary Williams

Training Director

Gary undertook his formal training at the Ivor Spencer International School for Butler Administrators in London. The school has been established since 1981 and His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales invested Ivor Spencer with the MBE at Buckingham Palace in 2002. Gary was appointed in his first butler position as one of only two butlers at The Ritz London. Here he was responsible for overseeing all the suites, including The Royal Suite. He was then head-hunted to be Major Domo for one of England's most prominent families, looking after Studley Royal House and for celebrity and VIP clients with various properties worldwide, regularly managing over 50 staff members. From here, Gary was appointed as head butler at the Brazilian embassy in London, a position that had over 180 applicants. He has also set up Quintessentially Butlers, part of the Quintessentially Group, the world’s leading private members’ club with a global concierge that provides a unique brand of service 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. He has appeared on ITV and in various national newspapers.

Graeme Taylor

Communication Expert

Recently appointed Training and Development Officer of The British Butler Institute. Graeme was previously a training operations manager at the Army School of Physical Training, the headquarters of physical, adventurous and recreational training in the British Army. He has led many international expeditions for the armed forces, including to the Himalayas, Burma and Falklands. Graeme is a Neuro-linguistic Practitioner, and a Master Coach. He believes that the key to effective and successful teamwork is effective communication in the right atmosphere, sufficient training for the task in hand and a propensity for hard work. Graeme has a passion for developing people, a warm personality and fantastic skills and drive. He is married with four children and currently studying for a BA (Hons) in Outdoor Leadership at UCLan.

Jill Cooper

Head of Housekeeping training

Jill is an expert in modern housekeeping and valet with more than 12 years’ experience working for a wide range of clients in London and Switzerland. Jill started out as a housekeeper with a top London hotel and worked her way up to become executive housekeeping manager. She then went on to work for private clients of all nationalities. This has given her a varied understanding of the housekeeping role. She has worked for royalty as executive housekeeper and is an authority on fine valet and care of fine antiques. Jill is an expert in environmentally-safe cleaning products and correct product application in areas such as crystal, linen, wood, object d’art, furniture, mirrors, floor and cloths, to name but a few.

Kevin Taylor

Luxury Residential Management

Kevin brings nearly 40 years experience in the luxury residential and hospitality industries to the institute. Kevin initially worked as a contractor for The South African School of Butlers under the direction of Frederick Fraser working for Nelson Mandela and various other South African heads of state. He also trained staff at the luxury hotel group Cape Divine at their various properties in and around the Western Cape of South Africa. Arriving in the UK in 2004, he was appointed as Major Domo on a very large Scottish estate. From here he moved to London to work for and manage various properties for an overseas investor. Kevin graduated with an MBA from Wits University in South Africa and heads up our Luxury Residential Management team. He is currently developing the institute’s household management software, which will be launched in the last quarter of 2011.

Lyn Macaulay

Chef

With over 30 years’ experience as a chef, Lyn’s CV is a tasty one! Having previously set up an award-winning pub, she now runs a five-star gold award guesthouse in North Yorkshire which is recommended in the Michelin Guide and renowned for its high-quality cuisine. Here, Lyn combines the highest-quality ingredients with traditional techniques to deliver meals that are presented with finesse and flair in her own individual style. She is able to deliver outstanding training to equip the modern butler with all the necessary skills to prepare and cook various dishes, to a wide range of tastes and dietary requirements.