HONGKONG AND SHANGHAI HOTELS NAMES NEW CEO
The Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels, Ltd., the owner and operator of The Peninsula Hotels, has appointed Benjamin Vuchot as executive director and CEO. Vuchot will also be appointed as a member of the executive committee, finance committee and the group management board and a director of some of the group’s entities. With more than 30 years of experience in the luxury retail business, with Richemont and LVMH, Vuchot brings experience in driving business growth and expansion through unique strategies and initiatives.
“I’m honoured and excited to be joining The Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels, Limited. It is a privilege to be working for a company that has built a reputation for excellence in luxury hospitality and exceptional services for over 150 years. Building on this legacy and long-term vision, I look forward to working alongside the exceptional team to imagine and deliver the future of luxury hospitality that is both sustainable and responsive to our times, whilst upholding the values that have steered the group’s success and legacy,” Vuchot said.
He will succeed Clement King Man Kwok, who will be stepping down as managing director and CEO with effect from October 31. As part of the transition, Kwok will remain on the board as an executive director and advisor to the CEO until the conclusion of the annual general meeting.
BOB W’S NEW CFO
Bob W, the tech-powered hospitality operator, has appointed Hervé Deligny to CFO. He will lead Bob W’s growth across Europe and beyond.
With more than 25 years of experience in financial leadership and scaling global business, Deligny brings in knowledge in the hospitality and real estate industries. He started his career with PwC and spent over 15 years at AccorHotels in Paris and London. He has since held CFO positions at several hospital brands, such as Generator, Safestay and Onefinestay.
ROSEWOOD ADDS TO LEADERSHIP TEAM
Rosewood Hotels & Resorts has announced four key additions to its leadership team.
Jillian Katcher joins as vice president of operations, Americas. She will lead operational strategies across the Americas, working along with regional vice presidents and managing directors. Most recently, she served as president of Twin Bridges Hospitality.
Natacha Cuvelier joins as vice president of CRM, global. Cuvelier will spearhead the development and implementation of Rosewood’s global CRM strategy, focusing on enhancing guest experiences through data-driven insights and personalized communications.
Mitchell Laufer has been appointed as vice president of legal, Americas. Bringing legal experience from his former role at Irongate Group, he will provide guidance across various business units, including development and operations.
Jonne Buijtels has assumed the role of vice president of legal, EMEAC. Joining from Sonder, Buijtels will provide legal strategy and support for development projects in Europe, the Middle East and the Caribbean.
IHG ANA NAMES NEW COO
IHG ANA Hotels Group Japan has welcomed Kiyohito Iinuma as its new COO for Japan. Besides his current position as director of positions, Japan, he will also serve as the ANA appointee to the joint venture as well as a director of IHG ANA Hotels Holdings Co. Ltd.
Starting his hospitality journey with ANA Hotels’ ANA Hotel Tokyo (now known as ANA InterContinental Tokyo), Iinuma brings in more than wo decades of experience to his new role. He transitioned to a revenue management position at the company’s Tokyo Support Centre and then moved back into hotel operations in general manager roles at IHG properties across Japan.
Reschreiter (The St. Regis Aruba Resort) and Benjamin Vuchot (The Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels, Ltd.).
MORE MOVES
Langham Hospitality Group (LHG) has welcomed Angela Zhou as its new senior vice president – finance. Based at the company’s headquarters in Hong Kong, Zhou will lead LHG’s global hotel finance operations, corporate finance, legal and financial planning and analysis functions. She will also act as a member of the company’s executive committee.
Zhou will report directly LHG CEO Bob van den Oord. She brings in years of experience in the hospitality industry gained through key positions at Marriott International, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts and Rosewood Hotels & Resorts, where most recently she served as vice president of finance.
Maverick Hotels and Restaurants has promoted Vasileios Ioannou to regional vice president of operations. He has experience in all aspects of hotel operations for national properties.
“During his time at Maverick, Vas’s impact has been immense,” said Maverick Founder and CEO Robert Habeeb. “He has remained a champion of Maverick and has done an incredible job of being there for our property teams, internal teams, and ownership – going out of his way to involve himself in every aspect of the business. His rich experience and excellent track record with Maverick affirm that his continued, expanded leadership will be an invaluable asset to our organization and mission.”
Minor Hotels has welcomed Rohit Chopra as area commercial director, India. Chopra will helm commercial activities across the group in India, focusing on driving revenue growth, building lasting client relationships and elevating guest experience and loyalty. He will report to Vijay Krishnan, vice president of operations, India and Richard Beh, vice president of commercial, Asia.
With a career spanning more than 26 years, Chopra has served at hospitality groups, such as Marriott, Hyatt and Accor. Most recently, he held the position of director of national sales for India & South Asia at Accor.
The Eliza Jane, a Hyatt Unbound Collection hotel, has welcomed Michael Farquharson as managing director. Bringing a global perspective to the hotel with over 20 years of international hospitality experience, he will oversee daily hotel operations, including guest relations and services at the onsite dining venues.
Prior to his new role, Farquharson held leadership positions at Canadian and American hotels, including The Westin Bayshore in Vancouver, Sheraton Centre in Toronto, Hotel Colee in Atlanta, Canopy by Hilton in Atlanta and more.
Halekulani Okinawa, the luxury resort in Okinawa, has appointed Shigeki Yamamoto as director of sales and marketing. Yamamoto will oversee all aspects of sales and marketing, including developing strategies to grow the property’s reach and delivering guest experiences that align with the brand’s standards.
Bringing almost two decades of experience to his new position, Yamamoto most recently served as the director of sales and marketing at The Kahala Hotel & Resort Yokohama as well the director of marketing at Yokohama Baycourt Club.
Christopher Blunt has joined King Kamehameha Kona Beach Resort as its new director of sales and marketing. With a career spanning more than 30 years, including 22 years of sales experience in Hawaii’s luxury resort market, Blunt brings in industry knowledge and experience to his new role.
Prior to his new role, Blunt worked as a Hawaii Island Tour Guide for Kailani Tours in Kona, where he led VIP and group tours at national parks and cultural landmarks across Hawaii. In his new position, Blunt will lead the resort’s sales and marketing strategy, overseeing group, leisure and business travel segments.
Joe Mauro has joined The Ritz-Carlton, Boston as its new director of sales and marketing. With over 24 years of sales leadership experience in both property and above property sales, Mauro most recently served as senior account executive for Marriott.
He was also the market director of group sales for the Marriott International Northeast Group Sales Office, where he was led the above property group sales effort for the over 35 Marriott managed premium and select service brands in the greater New York area.
Hard Rock Hotel San Diego has appointed two leaders to its executive team — Taylor Murphy as the new hotel manager and Anna Livingston as the director of sales. Since joining Hard Rock Hotel San Diego in 2020 as assistant director of rooms and director of operations, Murphy has played a key role in rebuilding operations following the pandemic. Before his return to San Diego, he served as the general manager of Hotel Adeline.
In her new role, Livingston brings in years of experience in hospitality. Beginning her career as an events manager, she went on to excel in catering and group sales in Savannah, Ga. Since 2019, she has served as director of sales.
Nikki Beach Hospitality Group, the lifestyle hotel company, has added new members to its Hotels & Resorts Division to support the brand’s global growth strategies. The new additions include:
- Rémi Delpech as COO, bringing more than 15 years of luxury hospitality. With experience in managing hotel operations globally, his background includes contributing to the rebranding and reopening of Hôtel de Crillon, A Rosewood Hotel in Paris.
- Lucia Diaz as cluster revenue manager
- Matthew Davies as group director of projects and technical services
- Ivette Ferrer as sales director
- Salik Mangrio as head of commercial services
- Immanuvel Premkumar as corporate director of engineering
- Covi Larxe Rey as corporate director of sales and marketing
- Arda Coban as cluster director of revenue
- Himanshu Kannojia as cluster IT and systems manager
NEW GMs
The St. Regis Aruba Resort, which is set to open soon, has appointed Oliver Reschreiter as general manager. With more than 25 years of experience in luxury hospitality, Reschreiter will lead all aspects of daily operation of the resort.
Reschreiter has previously held leadership roles at several Marriott hotels globally. Most recently, he served as resort manager at JW Marriott Camelback Inn Resort & Spa in Phoenix.
Nathaniel Johns has joined The Courtyard by Marriott Los Angeles Pasadena/Old Town as its general manager. Johns will serve as the strategic business leader for the hotel and helm business development, financial performance, community engagement and guest and employee satisfaction.
Bringing more than 16 years of experience to his new role, Johns has experience leading full-service hotel teams and owners to performance and operational success within Marriott, Hilton and other hotel brands.
