Johnny Sexton to advise Johnstown Collection on ‘culture’ during €40m investment

Johnny Sexton has been appointed as an adviser to the Johnstown Collection, the luxury hotel chain behind the Johnstown and Mount Juliet estates, as the group undergoes an investment of almost €40 million across its portfolio.The former Ireland rugby captain’s role is to advise the group’s senior leadership team with a “focus on team behaviours, culture, accountability and continuous improvement” in order to improve its standing among international organisations and corporate clients, the company said in a statement.“I’m looking forward to sharing my perspective and my own experiences with the team in all these areas, building on what is already there and, together, achieving new levels of success,” Sexton said. “Not just in Ireland, but on an international level, too.”He will also work to evolve the sporting and training facilities on offer at the Johnstown Estate in Co Meath through providing an “external perspective and high-performance insight” to operations and management, the company said.READ MOREThe hotel group, which is owned by Winthrop Technologies founder Barry English, said it was experiencing “significant investment and growth” across its portfolio, with “over €39.5 million invested and planned” to be spent.Some €26 million of this is earmarked for Johnstown Estate, while €8 million and €5.5 million are designated for Mount Juliet Estate in Co Kilkenny and Trim Castle Hotel in Co Meath, respectively.The Irish Times understands the investment is primarily to increase capacity and expand facilities across the group’s properties. Proposed developments include a rooftop thermal suite at Trim Castle Hotel and an additional 90 bedrooms and a new restaurant at Johnstown Estate, designed to expand revenues across the collection’s leisure and corporate markets. [ Johnny Sexton joins private equity firm ExponentOpens in new window ]Sean Reid, the Johnstown Collection’s commercial director, said Sexton’s appointment “is about aligning our business with the standards and mindset that define elite performance”.“In hospitality, the difference is often in the small details, and Johnny’s experience will help us sharpen our focus as we continue to strengthen our offering even further for corporate clients and high-performing organisations,” Reid said.The group’s general manager, Anthony Smiddy, said: “Johnny brings a unique perspective and wealth of experience that will help us realise the ambition we have for the Johnstown Collection over the coming years.”