The Panel

The PICA-Service Panel consists of independent trained individuals each with substantial experience of different facets of the licensed property sector.  Panel hearing dates and venues are determined in advance therefore enabling each dispute to be handled in a timely fashion.

Conflict of interest checks are carried out prior to individual panels being selected to hear individual cases.
The PICA-Service Panel Chairman is James Anderson.

James Anderson - Chairman

PICA-Service Chairman

A partner at solicitors Poppleston Allen; James has practised in licensing law since qualification in 1991 and has specialised solely in licensing law since 2001. Has a wide experience in advising on all licensing and gambling matters involving a range of clients from independent tenant operators to large pub retailers. Has been involved in training local authorities and local councillors in relation to licensing and gambling issues.

Kenneth MacKenzie - Scottish Panel Member

Kenny has operated within the hospitality industry for over 40 years. He has worked for Stakis Hotels and Restaurants in UK wide locations and for two seasons at Gleneagles Hotel . He worked as a GM for Allied Domecq Inns becoming an Area Manager within L+T after 5 years. He has also worked with Punch Taverns before joining Belhaven and subsequently Greene King. He made moved into Managed Houses as an Ops Director in 2007. He has extensive L+T experience and Managed Partnerships agreements.

His most recent position was Regional Director for the Greene King Pubs business in Scotland and the North of England with 150 sites and 2500 colleagues. He was a Trustee of the Scottish Licensed Trade Benevolent Fund for four years and Chairman of the Lanarkshire Licensing Forum for two years.

Robert Shepherd - Scottish Panel Member

Robert began his career in hospitality in the early 1980s managing various venues ranging from traditional community pubs to city centre destination bars.
He was also bar manager at the Edinburgh Sheraton Hotel. At that time, Robert was Area Secretary for the East of Scotland branch of the United Kingdom Bartenders Guild and competed successfully in IBA cocktail competitions - winning the UK Martini Grand Prix in the process. After a few years in marketing, Robert returned to his first love of hospitality in 2018 as tenant of the Belhaven owned Thistle Street Bar in Edinburgh. In 2021 he was the first licensee in Scotland to become a Greene King franchisee with the famous Mather’s bar in Broughton Street on the east side of Edinburgh.

Audrey Junner - Scottish Panel Member

Audrey is a Partner at Hill Brown Licensing a Division of Miller Samuel Hill Brown Solicitors LLP where she heads up the Licensing Department. Audrey has specialised solely in licensing law for over a decade and has experience across all industry sectors. She represents both independent and multiple operators from the on and off trade across Scotland in all matters connected with gambling, liquor and civic licensing.

Alan Dunn - Scottish Panel Member

Alan originally qualified and worked as a Chartered Quantity Surveyor – now with 20 years’ experience working in the licensed trade Alan is Operations Director for Greene King Pub Partners, working across England and Scotland. He brings a wealth of experience across the leased and tenanted sector and property, having worked as Investment Manager, Business Development Manager and Estates Executive for Punch Taverns, Director of Developments for the G1 Group and Operations Manager for Spirit prior to Greene King acquisition.

Sue Allen - Scottish Panel Member

Sue has over 35 years’ trade experience within UK brewers and pub operations and was formerly President of the Scottish BEN charity and the Scottish Beer and Pub Association.

Formerly Commercial & Membership Director at the BII, Sue now runs her own licensed hospitality training company, providing front of house staff training, BDM & Area Manager coaching and helping to re-launch pubs throughout the UK following investment. Sue is also Head Judge on the BII’s annual Licensee of the Year Award.

Jo Graham - Scottish Panel Member

Jo has a wealth of experience within the Licensed Trade and Hospitality sector, helping businesses to enhance performance and profitability by effective people and business management. She has owned and operated licensed premises so has a number of years hands-on experience in the trade.
Jo is also an experienced trainer, delivering practical, effective solutions using her experience to ensure her training is credible and relevant.

Jo is Managing Director of The Whisky Ambassador and is passionate about all things whisky and the contribution this can make to business success. Jo is the Chair for BII in Scotland and spends her spare time, what there is of it, sitting on the Children's Panel, being a leader within the Scout Organisation and with family and friends. She enjoys travelling and keeps fit by walking the dog, horse riding and swimming.

Matthew Richard Kearsey

A Business Partnerships Director for Hall & Woodhouse Ltd, winner of Tenanted Pub Company of the Year at 2012 Publican Awards, and the Board Member for the company responsible for the tenanted and leased division of the business. Prior to this he was Operations Director at Greene King from 2006-2009

Tom Henry

BII

A partner at top 40 law firm Weightmans Tom’s expertise lies in commercial property. He has a specialisation in the licensed trade which stretches back approaching 30 years and this includes grants, renewals and disputes concerning tenancies. He is legal advisor to the National Parliamentary Committee of Licensed Victuallers Association, the Guild of Master Victuallers and has frequently represented trade representative organisations in discussions with different government ministers and the European Commission.

Tobias Brett

BII

Managing Director of his own Company operating a small number of freehold licensed properties in the south west. Tobias commenced his involvement in the licensed property industry as manager of the Fullers’ Old Bank of England pub. He moved on to Wadworth and Co in 2004 as a Tenanted Trade Manager and then National Account Manager before joining Greene King as a Regional Manager in 2007.

Shaun Rennison

BII

Shaun has a retail Food and leisure industry background. Active in the Federation of Licensed Victualler's Associations since 1992 he has served on the Management Committee since 1995 having been president for two years, then following changes within the organisation was asked to remain a member of the management team.

Russell Stone

BII

Over 30 years’ experience in the Pub & Restaurant industry. Successful career from Chef to Manager to Director of established brands and restaurant companies. Worked for independent companies as well as PepsiCo, Whitbread, Scottish & Newcastle and The Restaurant Group – winning awards at single & multi site operations. Current position – owner of successful Pub/Restaurant for over 8 years.

Ray Parker

BSc MRICS

A member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors Ray operates as an independent consultant in the pub, hotel and leisure industry. Ray commenced his specialisation in the licensed trade in 1976 as an Estates Manager with Whitbread. He remained as Property Director within this organisation until implementing the transfer of 3,000 properties to Laurel group in 2001 and becoming Group Property Director of Laurel from 2001 until 2003. He operated as a separate entity since 2010 a pub business with his son, running a Pub Co leasehold and a separate freehold pub both in Yorkshire.

Phil Strong

BII

Phil has until June 2016 been running Chameleon bar and Dining ltd for nearly 15 years which has a number of tied leases and tenancies from companies like Enterprise, Marstons’, Greene King and Punch. Prior to that he was an area manager and Director with Allied Domecq and Punch Taverns with responsibility for managed, leased and tenanted pubs on behalf of the Landlord. He brings a wealth of experience from both a landlord and tenant perspective.

Peter Langard

MBE FCCA

Since Qualifying as Chartered Certified Accountant in 1964 Peter developed an accounting and audit Practice which now employs 55 people.

During that time he also worked on a voluntary basis at ACCA and chaired many committees, including finance, investigations and disciplinary.

Peter Raynsford

BII

Has worked in the licensed industry for 30 years working on the operations side of the business for Brewers and Pub Co’s in the managed, tenancy and leased sectors.

In 1991 was appointed a Magistrate for Hertfordshire.

A Fellow of the British Institute of Innkeeping and in April 2014 appointed a Trustee of the Licensed Trade Charity.

Peter Edgar

BII

An accredited registered trainer to the licensed trade with a background of operating licensed premises both as a manager and latterly as a multiple free house owner which extends back to 1969.

Paul Waterson

BII

Chief Executive of the Scottish Licensed Trade Association and former President of this organisation over three separate years Paul has operated his family’s business running pubs, hotels, nightclubs and off sales for over forty years. He has also during that time operated a wholesale wine, spirit and beer company. A member of various committees in Scottish Parliament and various licensed trade charity committees.

Paul Howarth

BII

Involved in both the brewing and pub industry for over 40yrs with experience at every level of trade from bar to boardroom. With substantial managed and tenanted/ lease experience now working as a consultant to the trade.

Paul Wigham

BII

Paul, as Chief Executive of All our Bars, is a multiple tenant who commenced his career in the accountancy sector but moved on to become over the years Director of several Pub and Inn groups. He has a law degree and is an Associate of The Institute of Chartered Accountants.

Matthew Evans

BII

Managing Director of a small Pub Co set up in 2010 and currently operating seven sets of licensed premises. Matthew entered the licensed property industry in 1987 as a Free Trade Salesman for Watney Truman Limited before becoming a Tenanted Sales Manager at John Smith’s Tadcaster Brewery Ltd (latterly Grand Metropolitan Estates). He spent most of the 1990’s as Senior Business Development Manager at S.H. Ward & Co (part of Vaux) before holding the position as a Business Development Manager at Unique from 1999 to 2004.

Lynne Griffin

BII

A licensed property tenant of a tied Pub Co outlet Lynne has an MA in International Human Resource Management and is a Member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development. She has worked within a FTSE 100 Company at both Senior and Operational Director Level and her experience has covered a wide spectrum of strategic and operational HR activity.

Lisa Sharkey

BII

Lisa is a Partner at Poppleston Allen Solicitors.  She has experience in all aspects of the leisure industry from pubs, bars and restaurants to the more complex matters surrounding late night licensing.  Lisa splits her time between Poppleston Allen’s offices in Nottingham and London, but acts for clients throughout England and Wales. 
Lisa is former Director of Legal and Ethnics for the Security Institute and is now Honary Fellow of the Institute, providing pro-bona legal advice and support.

John Rackham

FBII

Deputy chair of the West Midlands & South Wales BII region and former chair of the Birmingham LVA during the change in the beer orders and licensing hours debates and final agreements. John runs a Marston’s leasehold Pub, in Staffordshire, and is therefore heavily involved in current discussions regarding HMG’s new legislation and Marston’s interpretation.

Anthony Lyons

BII

A partner in the Manchester based solicitors Kuits Steinart Levy LLP, Anthony heads the Liquor Licensing Department and specialises in alcohol and entertainment licences. He supports insolvency practitioners in need of urgent licensing applications following administration. He has close connections to the Federation of Licensed Victuallers Associations and regularly advises its members.

Elaine Brown

BII

An experienced RICS qualified Estate Manager and award winning Business Development Manager with over 20 years’ experience of working within the Licensed Trade. Elaine’s background has seen her working both independently as a consultant for both Landlords and Tenants and in house initially for Punch and latterly Marstons’.

Duncan Craig

BII

Duncan is a barrister who was called to the Bar in 2011 subsequent to his attaining legal work experience and undertaking a graduate diploma in Law. Prior to that he operated as managing director of a company operating 6 licensed outlets in Nottingham having been an area manager at Eldridge Pope; a Regional Sales Manager, an Account Manager and a Development Team Salesman all at Whitbread’s. His experience in licensed trade matters extends back to 1990.

Dennis Griffiths

BII

Dennis has been a licensee for 43 years, and is a Past President and active member of the Federation of Licensed Victuallers Associations. Dennis remains a director of A&D Pub Services Ltd and continues to be a member of national pubs forums.

David Jones

BII

David was the first Qualified Accountant to specialise in the Licensed Trade back in 1979. For much of the time since, David has been able to help newcomers to the Trade who have attended the Finance days of courses run by Brewers and Pub Companies. He has acted as Expert Witness in cases of dispute between Pub Companies and their tenants. David is currently Chairman of the Association of Licensed Trade Accountants (ALTA).

Andrew Thompson

BII

Retired from his role as a Pub Co Operations Director in 2007 and now an independent consultant Andrew entered the licensed trade in 1973 and spent his early career at Allied Lyons and then Scottish & Newcastle. He progressed at Bass, leading to his becoming a Regional Director of Bass Lease Company and subsequently Operations Director at Punch Taverns. Always considered to be a champion of the tenant’s cause and a strong supporter of the FLVA.