Human Resources

🏠 Laurent Choain becomes Accor's Global Chief People & Culture Officer, succeeding Laurence Dambrine. In his role, he joins the Group Management Board and the Premium, Midscale & Economy Executive Committee. Choain brings over 30 years of HR experience from sectors like hospitality and finance, including 16 years at Forvis Mazars. He will focus on leadership development and talent attraction globally. His academic background includes a PhD and teaching roles at Université Paris Panthéon-Assas.

📈 Laurent Choain will become Accor's global chief people and culture officer on April 1, 2026. Choain brings over 30 years of HR leadership experience, having worked with Forvis Mazars, Groupe Caisse d’Epargne (now BPCE), and Kempinski Hotels and Resorts. He will join the Premium, Midscale, and Economy Executive Committee, focusing on talent development and organizational culture. Sébastien Bazin, Accor's CEO, emphasized Choain's alignment with Accor’s vision for cultivating an innovative and excellent workforce.

🏨 IHG Hotels and Resorts has appointed Neetu Mistry as managing director for the UK and Ireland, overseeing 400+ hotels. Mistry, with 20 years of European hotel industry experience, will lead commercial growth and manage new developments. The UK and Ireland feature 11 IHG brands, including InterContinental and Holiday Inn. Mistry aims to enhance owner relations and expand the midscale and luxury segments, focusing on operational standards and asset performance amidst rising domestic travel demand and investment.

🏨 Matt O'Connor has been elected as the 41st president of the Irish Hotels Federation, representing over 900 hotels and guesthouses. He is the managing director of Mullingar Park Hotel and has been with the federation since 2008. The federation supports 69,000 jobs directly and contributes €10 billion annually to Ireland's economy. A 9% VAT on food services will be restored in July. O'Connor aims to focus on representation, policy, sustainability, and talent.

📈 Kirk Pederson was appointed as COO of PM Hotel Group in Washington, D.C., to enhance revenue management, sales, marketing, and distribution. Previously, he led Sightline Hospitality, which merged with PM Hotel Group in 2024. With over $5 billion in hotel and resort asset oversight in the U.S. and Mexico from his roles at Morgan Stanley Real Estate Funds and more, Pederson brings vast experience to the nearly three-decade-old company.

📈 Anne Nivíka Grødem, CEO of Visit Greenland, is stepping down after a five-year tenure focused on tourism growth. She will leave her position at the end of May. The announcement was made by Anette Lings, chair of the board. Linda Kleist, currently in a leadership role, will succeed Grødem.

📈 PM Hotel Group appoints Kirk Pederson as COO in Chevy Chase, Maryland. He will oversee hotel operations and commercial strategy. Pederson's prior role was president of Sightline Hospitality, which merged with PM Hotel Group in 2024. He has overseen $5 billion in hotel assets in the U.S. and Mexico. Previously, he held roles at Morgan Stanley Real Estate Funds and Interstate Hotels & Resorts, among others.