Getting to know... Liam Crooks

In the latest instalment of Bdaily’s Getting to know... feature, which looks at the person behind the business profile, Liam Crooks, managing director of Europe, Middle East and Africa hospitality at global retail and restaurant point-of-sale software system firm Lightspeed, talks about his passion for the services industry, helping the business grow across Europe and rubbing shoulders with cricketing star Sir James Anderson.

We know you as the managing director of Europe, Middle East and Africa hospitality at Lightspeed, but who is the person behind the title? Tell us a little about what makes you tick…

I’m originally from Burnley, but have lived and worked in the US, Germany and the UK, which has given me a broad perspective on business and life globally.

One thing that’s always stayed consistent is the role of hospitality in my life and how much I genuinely love the industry.

What motivates me now is seeing how technology can support hospitality businesses, at a time when restaurants, pubs and bars are facing real pressure.

It is also why initiatives like Lightspeed’s annual Edge London Summit matter to me. 

It’s a statement of intent around our commitment to the UK hospitality industry.

Did you always want to work in hospitality? 

Absolutely. All of my first jobs were in restaurants and pubs, so I experienced how demanding and rewarding hospitality can be. 

The passion never really left me, so joining Lightspeed four years ago felt like a full-circle moment.

What’s always stood out is how important hospitality is, not just economically, but culturally too.

Pubs, bars and restaurants are the backdrop to celebrations, commiserations and everything in between. 

Few industries have that kind of impact on everyday lives.

What’s the best bit about your job? And the worst?

The best part is helping hospitality businesses succeed because we were able to help them improve their systems.

The toughest part is seeing the pressure the industry is under right now. 

Having worked in venues, supporting operators with tools that help them work more efficiently and navigate those challenges is incredibly important to me.

What do you consider to be your greatest achievement?

One of the things I’m most proud of is the growth of Lightspeed in the UK and across Europe in places like Germany, France and the Netherlands. 

We now work with thousands of hospitality businesses in the UK alone, including brands like Gaucho, The River Café and Big Mamma Group. 

These are businesses people genuinely love and trust, so supporting their operations is hugely rewarding.

I’m also proud of helping expand into markets like Spain, where hospitality has traditionally relied more on legacy systems, and helping operators embrace the value of digitisation.

How do you relax outside of work?

I spend so much time around tech day-to-day that outside of work I’m trying to be more analogue – walking, gardening, reading, a bit of golf; basically, anything that gets me away from screens.

Most weekends, you’ll find me on the sidelines with the Esher Under-8s Dragons girls cricket team, for whom my daughter plays. 

I help manage the team, so there’s a lot of support and encouragement, which is fun and helps me switch off. 

What makes the North West such a great place to live and work?

Being born and raised in Burnley definitely shaped who I am. 

The values you grow up with in the North West – honesty, hard work and kindness – stay with you for life, and they’ve helped me in every role and country I’ve worked in since. 

The people are also a huge part of what makes it such a great place to live and work.

Tell us something about you we didn’t know…

When I was younger, I played cricket with Sir James Anderson at Burnley for a couple of years. 

It’s safe to say his sporting career turned out slightly better than mine did. 

I realised pretty quickly I was probably better suited to business than opening the bowling for England!

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