PRE TAX profits topped £11 million last year at Doyle Hotels, the State's largest privately owned hotel group, writes John McManus. This week the group announced a management reshuffle under which outgoing Waterford Crystal chief executive, Dr Paddy Galvin (63), will take over as chairman from today while Mr David Doyle will return to the post of managing director at the end of the month.

Mr Doyle, who is in his mid thirties, resigned as managing director over a year and half ago after a dispute with the other shareholders, who are his mother Margaret, his brother and three sisters. The group has grown steadily despite Mr Doyle's absence, although it has not made substantial acquisitions. Turnover has grown from £38.6 million in the year to the end of November 1993 to more than £50 million in the year to the end of last November. Pre tax profits grew from £5.2 million to over £11 million.

A five year £30 million investment programme initiated by Mr Doyle before his departure was completed under his sister, Mrs Bernie Gallagher, who took over as managing director.

Doyle Hotels owns 10 hotels - two in Washington, one in London and seven in Dublin. The group now intends to expand abroad under its new management. Page 3