Rosewood Hotel Group, Hong Kong, China, has announced three leadership appointments and promotions. Priya Kapoor has joined the group as vice president of digital, where she will guide this segment on a global level. Additionally, Soo Jeong Lee has been promoted to vice president of design, overseeing the European, Middle Eastern, and African regions, and Simon Gilkes has been promoted to senior director of commercial, overseeing the European, Middle Eastern, African, and Caribbean regions.
Kapoor joins Rosewood with over 15 years of experience in the digital and eCommerce space, having previously held leadership roles at Ogilvy & Mather, Mattel, and L’Oréal. In this newly created position, Kapoor will oversee digital, eCommerce, and customer experience across all group brands – Rosewood Hotels & Resorts, New World Hotels & Resorts, KHOS, Carlyle & Co., and Asaya.
Soo Jeong Lee joined the group in 2017 as senior corporate director of design, a role she held for over five years, In her new role based out of the brand’s growing Amsterdam office, she will lead the Design team in the EMEA region, providing guidance on the implementation of Rosewood’s design standards and overseeing the vision for all projects and renovations.
Gilkes joined Rosewood in 2018 as regional director of sales and marketing for Rosewood Hong Kong. In his new position, he will be responsible for the overall implementation of sales, distribution, and revenue management initiatives to maximize performance in the EMEAC region and drive financial results for the portfolio. Gilkes has over 20 years of experience in sales and marketing in the hospitality industry and, prior to joining Rosewood, held roles with SBE Hotels in London, The Savoy Hotel in London and The St. Regis New York, among others.
“It is exciting to see our leadership team grow and evolve with the appointments of Priya, Soo Jeong and Simon to their new positions,” said Radha Arora, President of Rosewood Hotels & Resorts. “Each of their roles is critical to the strategic expansion of the group, and I am entirely confident in their abilities to lead their teams to great success as we continue to affirm Rosewood as a leader in the luxury lifestyle space.”
Corporate Management
Oak View Group, Philadelphia and Las Vegas, has appointed Chandra Allison as senior vice president of strategy and growth for meetings, conventions and exhibitions. Allison joins following a 24-year tenure at The Venetian Resort Las Vegas, Nevada, most recently as senior vice president of sales and marketing.
General Managers and Managing Directors
Alvaro Berton has been appointed as general manager of Meliá Ho Tram Beach Resort, Ho Tram, Vietnam. Previously, he served as general manager of Meliá Purosani Yogyakarta in Indonesia.
The Westin Hapuna Beach Resort, Hawaii, has named Marguerite Heap as its new hotel manager. Most recently, Heap served as front office manager at the hotel, where she then also had experience as the acting hotel manager.
The Elms Hotel and Spa, Excelsior Springs, Missouri, has welcomed Jessica Higginbotham as general manager. Previously, Higginbotham acted as the director of operations at Hyatt Regency DFW International Airport, Dallas, Texas.
In time for its reopening this fall, Le Barthélemy Hotel & Spa, St. Barthelemy, has welcomed Sebastien Maingourd as regional general manager. Prior to this role, Maingourd served as general manager of The Loren Hotel, Bermuda.
Hotel ZOSO, Palm Springs, California, has selected Joel Manion as general manager. Most recently, Manion held the position of area general manager with TPG Hotels & Resorts in Washington D.C.
Eugene Mardell has been appointed general manager of Thompson San Antonio – Riverwalk, Texas. Most recently, Mardell served as hotel manager overseeing the dual openings of Thompson Austin and tommie Austin in Texas.
Jarle Moen has been welcomed as managing director of Sommerro, Oslo, Norway. Moen brings more than 25 years of managerial and executive experience with international hotel brands, including Nordic Choice Hotels, Scandic, and Radisson.
Wyndham Destinations has announced two promotions in its leadership team. Edwin Pierre-Louis has been promoted to multi-site general manager for Club Wyndham National Harbor in Maryland, and Club Wyndham Old Town Alexandria in Virginia, after holding the assistant general manager position at both properties. Francisco Duran has been named the general manager at WorldMark Big Bear in Big Bear Lake, California. Previously, Duran worked as maintenance manager at WorldMark Big Bear and project manager at Electrical Contractors Hawaii in Kapolei, Hawaii.
Operations
Hyatt Regency Lake Washington, Renton, Washington, has selected Victor Diaz as director of operations. Previously, he worked in resorts, as well as multiple properties in the Hyatt portfolio.
Crystal Gwin has joined McKibbon, Tampa, Florida, as operations support manager. Gwin most recently served as general manager of Tru by Hilton Orangeburg, South Carolina. Steve Lambert has also joined McKibbon as operations support manager. Most recently, Lambert served as the opening general manager for the Cambria Hotel in St. Pete Beach, Madeira Beach, Florida. Todd Kinney has been promoted to regional vice president of operations from his most recent post as general manager of Hyatt House Westshore Tampa Airport, Florida.
Helene Skjenneberg has been selected as director of operations for Sommerro, Oslo, Norway. Previously, she served as director of food and beverage at Scandic Hotels, also in Oslo.
Food & Beverage
Caerula Mar Club, in The Bahamian island of South Andros, has appointed Carlos Alvarez as executive chef. In 2018, Alvarez joined the Caerula Mar team as sous chef.
Jonathan Howell has been appointed as executive chef at Sommerro, Oslo, Norway. Howeel joined from Fursetgruppen, one of the leading restaurant groups in Norway.
Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort in Florida has chosen Matthew Krueger as executive chef of Hotel Effie. Krueger has experience in kitchens at luxury resorts across the U.S., including J&G Grill at the St. Regis Deer Valley in Park City, Utah, The Lodge at Sea Island Resort, Georgia, and Homestead Resort, Utah.
Elegant Hotels, part of the all-Inclusive by Marriott Bonvoy portfolio, has appointed Carlos Sebastiani as multi-property executive chef and beverage across its seven resorts in Barbados. Previously, Sebastiani served as executive chef and food and beverage director at JW Marriott Hotel Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
The Ritz-Carlton, Tysons Corner, McLean, Virginia, has selected Daniele Trivero as executive chef. Trivero has held numerous positions within Ritz-Carlton, most recently as executive sous chef of The Ritz-Carlton, St. Thomas, Virgin Islands.
Alma Resort, Cam Ranh, Vietnam, has appointed two directors of food and beverage: Doan Pham Anh Tu was promoted to director of food and beverage outlets operation and Nguyen Huy Cuong to director of food and beverage MICE and sales. Previously, both Tu and Cuong worked as assistant food and beverage directors for Alma Resort.
Maka’ala Nalu Warden Kuewa has been named corporate food and beverage director. Kuewa joined from Bern’s Steak House Company, Tampa, Florida, where he served as general manager of Haven Tampa.
Sales & Marketing
Melanie Bruce has joined Thompson San Antonio – Riverwalk, Texas as director of sales. Most recently, Bruce served as area director of sales at Grand Hyatt San Antonio River Walk and Hyatt Regency San Antonio Riverwalk.
Natalie Fournier has joined Thompson San Antonio – Riverwalk, Texas, as director of revenue. Previously, she served as director of revenue at Wild Dunes Resort, a Destination by Hyatt property, in Isle of Palms, South Carolina.
Springboard Hospitality, Mammoth Lakes, California, has appointed Keith Kirsten as the director of sales for The Sierra Nevada Resort, an Outbound Hotel. Previously, Kirsten was sales director at Greater Ontario Convention & Visitors Bureau Ontario Convention Center & Toyota Arena, Ontario, California.
Fairmont El San Juan Hotel, San Juan, Puerto Rico, has appointed Chloe Gray-Le Coz as director of sales and marketing, Lara Mayer as director of luxury leisure sales, and Rachel Hofer as director of revenue management. Gray-Le Coz previously worked at Loews Hotels & Co., New York, as director of brand marketing. Mayer joined from The Dominick, Soho, New York, as director of travel industry sales. Hofer most recently held roles with Faena Hotel in Miami Beach, Florida, first as director of revenue management, then as director of front office.
Siri Løining has been selected as director of brand of Sommerro, Oslo, Norway. Løining brings over 30 years of experience in operations, public relations, and marketing to the role, previously raising the profile of hotels including The Thief and Amerikalinjen, both in Oslo.
Steve Mohney has been promoted to regional director of sales and marketing. Mohney joined McKibbon, Tampa, Florida, in 2017 as director of sales for Residence Inn Charlotte South Park, Charlotte, North Carolina.
JW Marriott Miami Turnberry Resort & Spa, Aventura, Florida, has welcomed Mindi Premo as its new executive director of sales. Most recently, she served as executive director of sales for the Bellagio Resort & Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada.
Spa and Wellness
Sabine Schanzenbach has been chosen as director of the Dolder Grand Spa, Zurich, Switzerland, where she served as assistant director of spa before this appointment.
Others
Dominic Gorham has been chosen as guest relations manager of Sommerro, Oslo, Norway. Gorham previously served in the same position for a decade at The Thief, also in Oslo. Jens Bredberg has been appointed as head of culture. Bredberg has held several operational positions within Nordic Choice Hotels and Nordic Hotels & Resorts, including more than five years as head of project and marketing manager for The Thief.
Nefike Gunden has joined McKibbon, Tampa, Florida, as international staffing and programs manager. Earlier this year, she earned her PH. D in Hospitality Administration and Management from Conrad N. Hilton College, Houston, Texas, designing, developing and instructing courses surrounding hospitality technology. Rachel Sprouse has been promoted from payroll supervisor to client relations manager. Rafael Ibarcena has joined McKibbon’s Operational Excellence team as a sustainability strategy intern. Ibarcena recently graduated from the University of South Florida Muma College of Business with an M.S. in Entrepreneurship.