David Taylor and Robert Davis have a clear, documented professional connection. David Taylor MI FIH and Robert Jonathan Davis MA MBE DL are both trustees of the Savoy Educational Trust, an independent UK charity focused on hospitality education, training and skills development. Current 2026 records list both men on the same board.
There is no reliable evidence in the authoritative records reviewed that Taylor and Davis are relatives, private business partners or connected through Lore Group. Their verified relationship is primarily their shared governance role at the Savoy Educational Trust.
What Connects David Taylor and Robert Davis?
The strongest documented link between David Taylor and Robert Davis is the Savoy Educational Trust. The UK Charity Commission currently records both as trustees of charity number 1161014. Robert Jonathan Davis was appointed on 6 April 2000, while David Taylor joined the board on 13 September 2018.
That means their documented professional overlap at the Trust began when Taylor joined the board in 2018. A March 2026 announcement from the Trust again named both Taylor and Davis among its existing trustees, confirming that the relationship remains current in 2026.
Their backgrounds are quite different. Taylor comes primarily from senior hotel operations and hospitality management, while Davis has a background in law, local government, civic work and charitable governance. The Savoy Educational Trust brings those different areas of experience together on one board.
| Person | Main professional background | Savoy Educational Trust role |
|---|---|---|
| David Taylor MI FIH | Hotel executive, currently CEO of Lore Group | Trustee since September 2018 |
| Robert Jonathan Davis MA MBE DL | Solicitor, former Westminster councillor and Greater London Deputy Lieutenant | Trustee since April 2000 |
Who Is David Taylor?
David Taylor is a senior British hospitality executive and the current CEO of Lore Group, the hotel company behind properties in Europe and the United States. Lore Group’s current leadership page identifies him as chief executive in 2026.
His career includes senior roles at several prominent London hotels and hospitality businesses. Taylor was General Manager of The London EDITION and was involved with projects including the original Hoxton Hotel in Shoreditch, the Great Eastern Hotel and Sofitel St James. He later worked on the transformation of the Principal hotel portfolio under Starwood Capital and Covivio.
Taylor joined Lore Group as Chief Operating Officer in 2020 and was promoted to CEO in January 2022. Contemporary reporting by The Caterer said he had overseen Lore Group’s operations through the pandemic before moving into the chief executive position.
David Taylor’s hospitality recognition
Taylor has also received several industry distinctions. The Savoy Educational Trust and Lore Group both state that he received a Master Innholders Scholarship in 2009, became a Master Innholder in 2012, won the Cateys Manager of the Year award in 2015, and was named UK Hotelier of the Year for 2018/2019.
His involvement with the Savoy Educational Trust fits closely with that career. The Trust says Taylor was appointed as a trustee in 2018, adding direct hotel management and hospitality-sector experience to its board.
Who Is Robert Davis?
Robert Jonathan Davis MBE DL is a solicitor, former long-serving Westminster City councillor and charitable trustee. He studied at Gonville & Caius College and Wolfson College, Cambridge, before training as a solicitor. He later became a partner in a West End law firm and retired from the partnership in 2015, while remaining associated with the firm as a consultant.
Davis served on Westminster City Council from 1982 to 2018. The Greater London Lieutenancy records that he served as Deputy Leader between 2008 and 2018, chaired the council’s planning committee for 17 years and was Lord Mayor of Westminster in 1996-97.
He was awarded an MBE in 2015 for services to local government and planning and serves as one of Greater London’s Deputy Lieutenants. His other charitable work has included the Sir Simon Milton Foundation, which was created in memory of his late husband, Sir Simon Milton.
The Savoy Educational Trust’s current biography also identifies Davis as a trustee and says he joined the organisation in 2000.
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What Is the Savoy Educational Trust?
The Savoy Educational Trust is an independent grant-giving charity supporting education, skills, training and qualifications in the UK hospitality industry. Although its history is connected to the Savoy Hotel, the organisation makes clear that it is not part of the hotel itself.
It was founded in 1961 by four directors of The Savoy Hotel Ltd. The Trust later became a Charitable Incorporated Organisation, or CIO, in March 2015. Its funding supports educational establishments, charities, social enterprises, industry organisations, competitions, scholarships and other projects related to hospitality education and career development.
The scale of the organisation makes the Taylor-Davis connection more substantial than simply appearing on the same honorary committee. For the 2024-25 financial year, the Trust reported awarding £2,415,457 through 80 grants, including funding for schools, further-education colleges, universities, charities, industry associations and competitions.
In 2026, the organisation marked its 65th anniversary and said its next phase would focus on expanding opportunities, developing skills and strengthening hospitality-sector partnerships through its Vision for 2030.
What Do Taylor and Davis Actually Do Together?
Public records establish that Taylor and Davis serve together as trustees rather than as executives working side by side in the same commercial company. Trustees are responsible collectively for the charity’s strategic direction, oversight and accountability.
The Trust’s 2024-25 annual report lists both Robert J. Davis and David Taylor among the trustees who served during the financial year. The report states that the trustees, together with senior executive staff, constitute the charity’s key management personnel and are involved in directing and controlling the organisation.
The organisation’s funding rules also make clear that trustees approve grants. Applications can cover hospitality training, equipment, education projects, scholarships, competitions and related initiatives, subject to the Trust’s criteria and governance procedures.
Their contributions come from different professional perspectives. Taylor brings extensive operational experience from hotels and hospitality management. Davis brings experience from law, public administration, civic institutions and charitable governance. That distinction helps explain why both can sit on the same education-focused board despite having very different primary careers.
Are David Taylor and Robert Davis Business Partners?
There is no verified evidence that David Taylor and Robert Davis are private business partners. Taylor’s current commercial leadership position is with Lore Group, while the authoritative biographies reviewed for Davis do not identify him as a Lore Group director, executive or owner.
Their shared role is instead charitable and governance-related through the Savoy Educational Trust. Describing them as commercial partners would therefore go beyond the available evidence.
Are David Taylor and Robert Davis Related?
No authoritative source reviewed identifies David Taylor and Robert Davis as family members. Their surnames are different, and their official biographies describe separate careers and personal histories without identifying any familial relationship between them.
The association visible in public records is professional. Both serve on the same charitable board.
How Long Have They Been Connected?
Robert Davis joined the Savoy Educational Trust in 2000, well before David Taylor became a trustee in 2018. Their documented period as fellow trustees therefore begins with Taylor’s appointment on 13 September 2018.
The relationship is not simply historical. Both men remained on the Charity Commission’s trustee register and were specifically named among the Trust’s existing board members when two additional trustees were appointed in March 2026.
Do David Taylor and Robert Davis Get Paid by the Trust?
The latest published annual accounts provide useful clarification. For the financial year ending 31 March 2025, the Savoy Educational Trust stated that all trustees gave their time freely and no trustee remuneration was paid.
The charity reimbursed £1,088 in travel expenses to three trustees during that year, but the accounts do not identify which trustees received those reimbursements. It would therefore be inaccurate to attribute any of that amount specifically to Taylor or Davis.
Reliable public sources do not provide sufficient information to make credible personal net-worth estimates for either man. Speculative wealth figures should not be treated as fact.
Why Do Their Names Appear Together Online?
The most credible reason is their membership of the same Savoy Educational Trust board. Their names appear together in the charity’s annual reports, current trustee listings, industry announcements and Charity Commission records.
This matters because David Taylor and Robert Davis are both common names. Search results can easily mix unrelated people, including other executives, athletes, academics and public officials. For this particular pairing, the identifiers David Taylor MI FIH and Robert Jonathan Davis MA MBE DL are important because they establish exactly which individuals authoritative sources place together.
FAQ
What is the connection between David Taylor and Robert Davis?
David Taylor and Robert Davis are fellow trustees of the Savoy Educational Trust, a UK charity supporting hospitality education and training. Davis has served as a trustee since 2000 and Taylor since 2018.
Do David Taylor and Robert Davis work for the same company?
Not according to the available authoritative records. Taylor is CEO of Lore Group, while their documented shared position is as trustees of the Savoy Educational Trust.
Is David Taylor related to Robert Davis?
No reliable public source reviewed identifies them as relatives. Their documented relationship is professional and connected to charitable governance.
Who is David Taylor from the Savoy Educational Trust?
He is David Taylor MI FIH, a hospitality executive and CEO of Lore Group. His career includes leadership roles connected with The London EDITION, the Hoxton Hotel and the Principal hotel portfolio.
Who is Robert Davis from the Savoy Educational Trust?
He is Robert Jonathan Davis MA MBE DL, a solicitor, former Westminster City councillor and Greater London Deputy Lieutenant. He has been a Savoy Educational Trust trustee since 2000.
Are David Taylor and Robert Davis still trustees in 2026?
Yes. Current Charity Commission records list both men as trustees, and a Savoy Educational Trust announcement published in March 2026 named both among its existing board members.
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