News

MYA Appoints Ben Donaldson as Creative Director

Posted on in News

MYA are delighted to announce the appointment of Ben Donaldson as its new Creative Director, further reinforcing the company’s creative leadership during a period of rapid international growth.

Ben’s journey to MYA is as impressive as it is diverse. Originally from Australia, he began his career as a chef in some of the top restaurants across his homeland and London. In 2003, he moved to London to join Jamie Oliver’s Fifteen, where he trained emerging chefs and helped drive the restaurant’s acclaimed kitchen ethos. He was later part of the launch team at Covent Garden’s Hospital Club, working alongside Adam Byatt to establish one of London’s most talked-about venues.

Over the last 15 years, Ben has evolved from managing kitchen operations to becoming a respected figure in the design consultancy industry. Having delivered standout hospitality projects in Australia, in 2019, he returned to the UK to join Tricon, bringing his distinctive blend of operational expertise and creative vision to a global client base.

Ben Donaldson comments:
“I am thrilled to step into this new chapter as Creative Director with MYA Consulting. I’m honoured by the opportunity to lead, collaborate, and push creative boundaries with an inspiring team. We aim to implement bold ideas, fresh vision, and build something unforgettable together.”

As part of a dynamic realignment of MYA’s leadership team, George Panks has been promoted to the newly created role of Chief Operating Officer. Building on his successful tenure as Creative Director, George will now lead the integration of MYA’s creative and management consultancy divisions, driving strategic alignment, operational excellence, and delivering unified, high-value solutions across the company’s expanding global portfolio.

Carla McKenzie, Owner of MYA, adds:
“This is an exciting chapter for MYA. With Ben’s creative leadership and George stepping into a broader strategic role, we’re in a strong position to scale our operations and deliver next-level solutions to our clients in the UK and globally.

For further information, contact: info@mya-consulting.co.uk

Recent posts

Categories

  • We recently worked with the team at MYA on a bid for a tender for multiple catering sites. Their proactive, innovative and dynamic approach to the task was a breath of fresh air, and we were able to work systematically through a complex set of designs with an abundance of creativity and design options to consider. Throughout the whole process, the team at MYA were fully engaged and, above all, great fun to work with. I will definitely be working with the team again on future projects and would highly recommend them as design consultants.

    Steven Braithwaite, Managing Director, Somerset Larder

  • We recently had the pleasure of collaborating with MYA on the City of London School for Girls project at the Barbican, London. One of the standout aspects of MYA’s involvement was their swift, detailed, and highly effective coordination of design elements. MYA’s proactive approach, attention to detail, and dedication to achieving design harmony made them an invaluable partner in this project. Their ability to strategically align diverse design aspects contributed significantly to the success of the collaboration, reinforcing the importance of well-integrated teamwork in delivering high-quality solutions.

    Simon Spiteri, Director/Architect, Cowan Architects

  • The team, led by Carla McKenzie, were meticulous in every detail. They modelled the cleaning requirements to deliver the optimum solution for the facilities across EMEA, and really took time to understand the culture of our business. I have no hesitation in recommending MYA and its team – they are dedicated and innovative, and always go the extra mile.

    Natalia Ros Vargas, Office Team Leader, Booking.com

  • Carla and her team have broad experience in the industry. Apart from being very supportive in inventing (new) concepts, they also make use of their many years of experience when implementing these concepts. Their ultimate goal is to let people enjoy honest and good food.

    Marcel Bisselink, Owner, Daily Fresh Food, Galeen, Netherlands

  • Carla and her team worked tirelessly with us to ensure our very international and cross-cultural needs were met with great creativity and skill. They listened to us, responded to our needs and delivered above expectations.

    Angela Hencher, Director of Business Administration, Dulwich College, Shanghai Pudong

  • They are brave enough to challenge others in pursuit of the ultimate solution, whether it be behind the scenes with kitchen flow and catering management, or front-of-house service and design.

    Richard Russell, Catering Equipment Distributor Director, Western Blueprint

  • If all companies who serve the independent school sector had your breadth of vision and openness of mind, I have little doubt that the sector would be a richer and more exciting place to be.

    Phillip Godfrey, Bursar, Halliford School

  • During the negotiation process, Carla’s knowledge and expertise enabled our company to achieve a very strong commercial outcome, and some significant savings were yielded from the exercise.

    Penny Arnold, Commercial & Operations Director, Fusion Lifestyle