Full name: Niall Howard
Role: CEO
DOB: 14/11/55
Birthplace: Glasgow
Twitter Handle: @howardnm
Website: www.projectpie.co.uk
Fun Fact: I am a Scot who took a Chinese restaurant to China! (Shanghai) – also once played pétanque for Scotland.
People are often surprised when I point out that it is they that are responsible for ticking these boxes highly – not the employer. Once you get this, your life will improve.
J: Please tell us how you got to where you are today. I’m sure a lot of our readership would love to find out how you ended up holding the reigns in Hakkasan and presiding over such tremendous growth. You took the reigns off of Alan Yau, right?
N: I had 4 wonderful years as CEO of Hakkasan where I created a global brand with 15 restaurants overseas, 4 Michelin stars and over 2,000 employees. My crowning moment was building the largest nightclub and restaurant in Las Vegas at the MGM Grand.
I read that your background was not in restaurants…but a lot more varied. Oil and gas, you even worked at William Grant & Sons at some point, right? What did all this teach you?
Biggest lesson by far was about ‘People’ – this was the main reason for my success with Hakkasan. I had become a ‘listener’ rather than ‘talker’ which is the key ingredient of leadership.
What was your time at Hakkasan like, anyway? What did you learn from the Hakkasan experience, in a nutshell?
In 4 years I travelled 700,000 miles, including 2 round-the-world trips visiting many countries and five continents. Again my main experience concerned people as I was exposed to many diverse races and customs.
What’s it take to be a CEO? Asides from what I’d imagine is the ability to sleep less than average and icy coolness under pressure…
I always slept very well especially taking advantage of long haul flights. Years of experience taught me to stay calm under pressure – there was little I hadn’t seen before.
You were obviously a big part of Hakkasan’s success – lots of international openings whilst you were there. Could you tell us some of the key drivers in said success? What did you do? What was your secret? Was there even a secret?
The secret is people but it’s not a secret. Respecting others and listening to them means a lot and you have to take great care in who you pick as your strategic partners. I am also cautious by nature so I avoid careless risks.
Was it always part of your plan to be a ‘big cheese’ in the food world?
Ha Ha! I would never consider myself anything in the food world! I was listed in the top ten influential restaurateurs in the UK in 2013 though – always found that amusing!
OK, moving onto Project Pie then…
How did you end up hearing about it, and what made you decide to be part of making Project Pie happen over here? I assume they wanted your specialist understanding of the UK market, as well as your C Suite background.
I met John and Susan Canavan through my Hakkasan connection. They were moving back to London after 30 years in California and had been discussing taking over the Project Pie franchise. They were looking for someone with the relevant experience and we got on very well. The rest is history.
What’s your ‘job description’ exactly? What do you do at Project Pie? They’re not quite as large as Hakkasan, as far as I can tell?
I’m acting CEO although, at times, I have been the whole company. We are still in the early stages and will build more of an infrastructure when we lay out our future strategy.
Are you working on Project Pie fulltime at the moment, or do you have other irons in the fire?
I am pretty much fulltime at the moment although I also own a Chauffeur Drive company which I had been developing to support specialised gourmet tours in Scotland.
I’d imagine that there’s a world of difference between the 5 star faire of Hakkasan and Project Pie’s artisan pizza. What kind of challenges will you guys be facing, and how different will it be?
Hakkasan was unique and sold itself so we will be much more active on the marketing side of Project Pie. Project Pie is casual fast food so we will have to satisfy people more quickly.
What’s a ‘day in your life’ like? Could you give us an insight into the world of Niall these days?
Fortunately, my life is now much more family centric than during the crazy days of Hakkasan. I work at home so I start the day answering the plethora of e-mails that need attention then make the most urgent phone calls. I may visit the store or attend meetings with business partners. I enjoy my golf at the weekend and planning and going on holidays. By July I will have visited and stayed in all the 50 states of America.
What’s your greatest/most memorable professional moment been, so far?
I’ve had many great moments but I would have to pick the opening of Hakkasan Mayfair. I saw that as my baby and was involved with all aspects of it – especially the design.
Building upon the last question, what’s the biggest challenge you’ve had in your career? How did you overcome it, and what did you learn from it?
It has to be taking the reins at Hakkasan where I wasn’t exactly welcomed. It was only by showing respect for the people there and listening to them that I won them over. I never made unfair decisions.
Where do you get your ideas?
I also sought input from many outsider who either knew Hakkasan or were in the same industry. They gave me invaluable advice.
What’s your work philosophy, summed up in a sentence?
I am a ‘work hard play hard’ sort of person and a strong believer in good ethics and values. I have also always followed a healthy work/life balance.
What advice would you give to aspirants in the food and drink business who’d want the kind of results that you’ve had?
Be diligent, thoughtful and listen to others. Show respect to everyone and never act in a reckless way.
If you weren’t doing what you do now, what would you be doing instead?
Probably developing my gourmet tour ideas.
If you could cook anything for anyone, anywhere you chose – who would you pick, where would you do it and what would you cook for them? (we assume that you cook sometimes…)
I can’t cook – my wife Anne is too good at it. I would always choose to be with my family – I have absolutely no ambitions to meet anyone.
What’s your favourite regional cuisine?
French cuisine, in France, is still the best in the world – followed very closely by Italian. I have had some amazing food experiences around the world.
What’s your ultimate aim and goal for Project Pie? If you could achieve anything with it, what would you pick? Money and reality are no obstacle, so shoot for the moon…
Project Pie being the No 1 pizza diner in the UK and Ireland.
Where next for you and the business?
To achieve the above!
And we always ask three customary ridiculous questions…
If you had to found a new country based around Project Pie’s principles, what would you call it, where would it be, what would it’s capital be called and what would its chief export be?
Obviously ‘Pieland’ and it would be in Asia beside Myanmar. It’s capital would be call ‘Jamestown’ and its chief export would be ‘love’!
You have acquired a pet T-Rex and are morally obliged to look after it. It is 13 ft tall at the hips , eats half a ton of raw meat a day, and likes taking long walks. What would you call it and what would you do to keep it entertained and housed?
I would call it Marc (after Marc Bolan) and I would give it to my son Andrew in the front room to tire him out.
At what point do hand grenades become a necessity?
Never! Handshakes are more effective.
