Founding father of Soho Home personal members’ membership to step down | Hospitality trade

Nick Jones, the founding father of Soho Home, is stepping down as chief government of the personal members’ membership and resort empire he based 27 years in the past after revealing a prostate most cancers analysis.

Jones introduced on Wednesday that he was “transitioning from CEO to my authentic position as founder”. The 59-year-old reworked Soho Home from a single personal members’ membership within the central London district to a world community of 38 “homes”, spas, co-working areas and luxurious lodges.

The businessman mentioned he was stepping again from day-to-day operating of the corporate after most cancers remedy had “modified my perspective and focus”. He’s being changed as chief government by Andrew Carnie, the corporate’s international president.

“First some unhealthy information, and a few superb information,” Jones mentioned in an electronic mail to members on Wednesday. “In early summer time I used to be identified with prostate most cancers. It was caught early and my remedy has been 100% profitable – and I’m not solely wholesome once more but additionally cancer-free.

“Inevitably, this expertise has modified my perspective and focus. In consequence, from immediately I’m transitioning from CEO to my authentic position as founder and can deal with the inventive and membership features of Soho Home.”

Jones, who’s married to the BBC presenter Kirsty Younger, mentioned he wished to do “extra of what I like”, which he mentioned was ensuring members had fun. He would additionally focus extra on the corporate’s Home Foundations programmes to assist underrepresented teams flourish within the inventive industries.

He sought to reassure the greater than 210,000 members world wide that the golf equipment and enterprise could be in “secure fingers” with Carnie, who joined the corporate in 2019.

Final week a spokesperson for Soho Home denied claims put to them by the Guardian from two firm insiders who mentioned Jones was about to step down.

When Soho Home began above Jones’s restaurant Cafe Boheme on the nook of Greek Road in 1995 solely individuals working within the inventive industries have been allowed in – bankers and people wearing fits and ties, whereas not banned from making use of, usually discovered their membership cancelled.

That strategy got here again to chunk Jones in 2015, when he tried to lift cash from bankers by inviting them to an funding bond presentation at its Shoreditch Home venue close to the Metropolis of London.

“It’s fairly humorous,” one potential investor told Reuters at the time. “They are saying that we’re not cool sufficient to hitch their membership however they’re completely keen to take our cash once they want it.” One other mentioned Soho Home’s message was merely: “We don’t need you; we wish your cash!”

Now the corporate, which was snappily rebranded because the Membership Collective Group (MCG) as a part of its greater than £2bn flotation on the New York inventory trade final yr, operates lodges, spas, and co-working areas in addition to personal members golf equipment throughout 5 continents.

Through the years it has been the go-to get together spot for the wealthy and well-known, from Kate Moss, Kendall Jenner and Ellie Goulding to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

Studies within the tabloids counsel that Harry, the fifth in line for the throne, and Meghan, the previous Fits actor, met on a blind date in 2016 on the group’s 76 Dean Road home, certainly one of eight Soho Homes in London that embrace a townhouse in Mayfair, and a membership, resort and rooftop pool contained in the BBC’s former studios in White Metropolis.

“During the last 27 years, I’ve run Soho Home and extra not too long ago MCG by at all times placing members on the coronary heart of every part we do,” Jones mentioned. “I’m so happy with what we have now achieved and grateful to all of the groups who’ve helped us get to the place we’re immediately.”

Jones owns slightly below 6% of the shares, alongside the US actual property billionaire Ron Burkle, who has a 42.5% stake, and the British millionaire restauranteur Richard Caring, who has 20%.