Here is a
compilation of the most important executive moves of the past week in the hotel
investment world alphabetically (by company):
Accor
names new VP. Accor
has named Katell Bourgeois as vice president of development for France,
effective September 2. She has nearly two decades of expertise in the
hospitality real estate sector, primarily with global organizations. Before
joining Accor, Bourgeois headed the French division of Cushman & Wakefield
Hospitality since 2019 and spent almost 15 years in various significant roles
at JLL Hotels, including senior vice president of corporate transactions.
New COO
for Aethos Hotels. Milan, Italy-based Aethos Hotels has named Christophe Thomas as its new COO,
effective immediately. In his new role, Thomas will report directly to
Benjamin Habbel, CEO and co-founder of Aethos. Before joining Aethos, Thomas
served as GM of several prestigious properties across the United States,
including the Palace Hotel in San Francisco and the SLS Hotel Beverly Hills.
Most recently, Thomas was GM of Le Royal Monceau – Raffles Paris.
New CEO
for Amsa Hospitality. Riyadh, Saudi Arabia-based Amsa Hospitality has named Muin Serhan as its new
CEO. He will report to Mohammad Alathel, the founder and managing director of
the brand. Serhan has 24 years of international experience in the hospitality
industry and was previously GM for the Riyadh Marriott Hotel and Marriott
Executive Apartments. He also worked for Millennium & Copthorne Hotels,
Tamani Hotel Marina, Rezidor SAS Hospitality and IHG.
BWH names
new China CEO. BWH
Hotels has named Harry Dong as the new president and CEO of BWH Hotels China.
Dong has been with BWH for over 16 years and previously managed procurement,
quality analysis, and project development for hotels in the region. His father,
William Dong, previously held this role. With 10 hotels in the region and a
growing pipeline of properties, Dong will be responsible for the development
strategy for new properties and supporting the already established hotels in
his region.
New execs
at Collective Hospitality. Auckland, New Zealand-based Collective Hospitality has named several new
executives to help lead the newly acquired Selina Hospitality. Anne Laeremans
has stepped into the role of global director of central reservations office at
Selina, bringing over 20 years of experience in sales effectiveness, brand
relationships, and hotel management from her tenure at Aimbridge Hospitality
and Marriott International. Yves Pouliot has been appointed vice president of
distribution, revenue management and strategic partnerships. With two decades
of experience across key tourism sectors, Pouliot previously served as a global
key account manager for major chains at Booking.com and held leadership roles
with Marriott and boutique hotels. Mario Fernando, who joined Selina in
September 2024, is now the vice president of brand experience. He has over 20
years of international expertise across various regions, including the U.K.,
Qatar, and Thailand and he was most recently chief development officer at
Outpost. Gloy Netnapa has been appointed head of legal at Selina and Collective
Hospitality. With a strong background in hospitality law, Netnapa has been
instrumental in various hotel acquisitions and sales.
New VP
for EOS Hospitality. New York City-based EOS Hospitality has named Nicole Di Maio-Kennedy as vice
president of revenue maximization. She has more than two decades of experience
in the industry and was previously vice president of revenue management at
Pyramid Global Hospitality.
New
president of HQ Hotels. HQ Hotels & Residences, the newly launched lifestyle hospitality
brand spearheaded by sbe chairman and CEO, Sam Nazarian, has appointed Mike
Metcalf as president of HQ Hotels. Metcalf has over 40 years of experience in
the hospitality industry and was previously at Crescent Hotels & Resorts,
where he served as COO, executive vice president, senior vice president of
operations and vice president of business development for over 18 years.
He also worked at Delta Orlando, the PGA National Resort & Spa and
the ITT Sheraton.
Hospitality
veteran Peek joins JLL. JLL’s Hotels & Hospitality group announced that Daniel Peek
has joined the firm as president of JLL Americas region. Over the course of his
career, Peek has completed nearly $60 billion in investment sales, debt and
structured finance transactions. He will be based out of JLL’s Tampa office and will report to
Americas Capital Markets CEO, Mark Gibson, partnering with Kevin Davis,
Americas CEO for JLL’s Hotels &
Hospitality. Before joining JLL, Peek served as president and COO at
Hodges Ward Elliott, where he led a global team responsible for executing
institutional-grade commercial real estate transactions. He also worked for HFF
and co-founded the boutique firm Regent Street, an affiliate of The Plasencia
Group.
New CCO
for Kempinski. Geneva-based
Kempinski Hotels has named Massimo Brancaleoni its new chief commercial
officer, effective November 1. Brancaleoni joins Kempinski from Silversea
Cruises, where he served as senior vice president of global sales and revenue
following a 20-year career at Italian cruise line Costa Crociere where he held
various roles.
New CEO
for L+R Hotels. Former
Starwood Capital leader in Europe, Cody Bradshaw, is set to join L+R Hotels as
group CEO, effective October 1. With 25 years of hospitality real estate
investing experience, including a significant acquisitions and asset management
track record spanning five continents, Bradshaw most recently spent more than
13 years at Starwood Capital Group, where he served on the firm’s Investment
Committee and was instrumental in leading the global hotel team and business
for the firm. Before joining Starwood Capital in 2011, Bradshaw played a key
role in Pebblebrook Hotel Trust following its “blind pool” IPO in 2009. Earlier
in his career, he served as the first employee of the San Francisco-based
Chartres Lodging Group, participating in seven years of rapid expansion. He
began his career at Hyatt Hotels Corp. after graduating from Cornell
University.
Noble
names new VP. Atlanta-based Noble Investment Group has named Áine Cronin as vice president of
investor relations. Cronin has over 15 years of experience developing and
advancing relationships with institutional, ultra-high-net-worth, RIA, and
family office investors. She joins Noble from Rockbridge, where she had
responsibility for capital raising and investor relations. She also held
leadership roles at Perspecta Trust and Denham Capital and began her career
with King Street Europe and the Baupost Group.
New VP
sales for Omni. Annette Bales has been named vice president of sales at Dallas-based Omni
Hotels & Resorts. She brings over 30 years of experience in the hospitality
industry. Before joining Omni, she served as executive director of sales,
service and experience at Sunseeker Resort in Charlotte Harbor, Florida. She
also held various leadership roles during her 15-year tenure at Marriott
International.
New exec
for Rotana. Abu
Dhabi-based Rotana has named Karim El Horr, as the corporate director of
operations. El Horr has over two decades of experience in hospitality
operations, covering property level and corporate management. Most recently, El
Horr served as director of asset management and special projects at Roya
International Hospitality & Leisure Consultants. He has also held several
senior management posts at Millennium Hotels and Resorts, Fairmont, and IHG.
SH Hotels
adds new VP. Coconut
Grove, Florida-based SH Hotels & Resorts has named Shadi Omeish vice
president of operations in North America. He has over two decades of
international experience, and since joining the company in 2016, he has served
as general manager at 1 Hotel South Beach and 1 Hotel West Hollywood and was
area managing director on the West Coast and, most recently, regional vice
president of West Coast.
Read More: Hotel executive moves: BWH Hotels, JLL, L+R Hotels, Noble Investment