Trade stalwart Payne to retire from FLVA

By Tony Halstead

- Last updated on GMT

Related tags Tony payne The association Pension

Payne collects his CBE
Payne collects his CBE
Federation of Licensed Victuallers Associations (FLVA) chief executive Tony Payne CBE is to retire at the end of 2009.

Federation of Licensed Victuallers Associations (FLVA) chief executive Tony Payne has announced he is to retire at the end of next year.

His exit will bring the curtain down on a 34 year career during which time he has become one of the best known personalities in the licensed trade.

Payne, who will be 76-years-old when he calls time, said he was giving the Federation 14 months' notice to allow a successor to be in place well before he leaves.

He revealed his retirement plans to the Federation management committee shortly before the opening of the association's annual meeting in Blackpool today (Tuesday).

"I have always made it clear that once I turned 75 I would give the Federation adequate notice of my plans.

"It will give time for a new chief executive to be chosen and also allow me to honour the various promises I have made to members next year," he said.

Payne started his career in trade protection in 1975 with the National Association of Licensed House Managers before switching to the trade's main tenanted body, the National Union of Licensed Victuallers (NULV).

He helped launch the FLVA in 1992 following the demise of the NULV's successor body, the National Licensed Victuallers Association.

In 2005 he was awarded the CBE in the Queen's New Year Honours list for his services to the licensed trade.

Over the years he has helped hundreds of pub tenants and lessees in brewery and pubco negotiations and represented the FLVA at parliamentary lobbies and at meetings with a host of different regulatory bodies.

Payne also played a prominent role as a member of the UK and Ireland Licensed Trade Association.

Rob Hayward, chief executive of the British Beer & Pub Association, said Tony Payne would be irreplaceable.

"Everyone will be sorry to see him go but we understand the main reason he had made this decision.

"I think we will only discover his true value to the industry after he has gone. He has made a tremendous contribution and over the years became a trusted trade colleague."

Trade consultant Phil Dixon, one of Payne's former NLVA colleagues, said:"He has made an outstanding contribution to the industry and will be sorely missed.

"The award of the CBE summed up what the man is all about and reflected his commitment to helping pub tenants and lessees who were members of his association."

FLVA president Shaun Rennison added: "The FLVA is Tony Payne, without him our association will be much different, his knowledge and understanding of the industry is priceless, his contacts seem limitless and his patience is legend.

"We will find replacing Tony extremely difficult and appreciate Tony giving us 12 months to plan for change. This will give us an opportunity to perhaps re-shape the organisation to more accurately reflect the rapid changes in our industry and the requirements of our membership.

"I know the membership will not allow Tony to walk away quietly, we will be announcing details in mid 2009 of how we plan to say farewell to one of the industries key characters, steps are already underway to seek a replacement and have an orderly transition to a new era for the licensed trade sector and the FLVA in particular."

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