Human Resources

🏦 Kempinski Hotels appoints Hoda Tahoun as Chief Talent Officer, starting April 14, 2025. Her role includes overseeing global talent strategy to support the company's growth under CEO Barbara Muckermann. Tahoun reports to Chief Human Resources Officer Karin Raguin and is responsible for recruitment, development, and organizational design. She brings over 27 years of HR experience and previously worked with Russell Reynolds Associates. Kempinski has won the Gallup Exceptional Workplace Award four times consecutively.

🏦 Gabriele Seidel appointed as Vice President Operations & Commercial for Lindner Hotel Group, starting 1 April 2025. She will oversee Lindner Hotels & Resorts, Me and All Hotels, L-Collection, and 7Pines Hotels & Resorts. Seidel has a rich background with leadership positions at H-Hotels Group as Executive Director Sales & Revenue Management and Vice President Operations D-A-CH, and as Corporate Director Operations at Novum Hospitality, managing 126 hotels. Her role aims to enhance operations, customer experience, and market positioning amid the company's restructuring post-bankruptcy.

🏖 Pikl, a vacation rental insurtech company, appointed Steve McGuinness as COO and James Everett as CUO to bolster its leadership for growth post successful 2023 B2B launch. McGuinness, formerly at Saga, Auto & General, Chubb, RBS, will manage performance and risk. Everett, ex-Deputy Head of Underwriting at Canopius Group, will focus on insurance solutions for vacation rental businesses. CEO Louise Birritteri anticipates rapid growth and market expansion with their expertise.

🏢 Dario Rizzo joins Italian-based scale-up BizAway as General Manager to bolster the company's global brand positioning and invest in young talent. With a degree in Economics and Banking Science and specialization in Economics and Financial Intermediaries Management from Siena, Rizzo brings digital strategy and B2B marketing experience from previous roles at Tribe47, GetResponse, and Factorial in cities like London, Warsaw, Gdańsk, and Barcelona. CEO Luca Carlucci anticipates Rizzo will enhance community, share knowledge, and create new opportunities for the company.

🍴 Enrico Giuseppe Maimonte appointed as Chef de Cuisine at Nobu Hotel Ibiza Bay. With a background in Italian and Asian cuisines, Enrico has worked in Milan and at Nobu Milano for 4.5 years before moving to Nobu Hotel Ibiza Bay in 2018 as second chef. After a stint in Dubai in 2021, he returned to Ibiza, becoming Executive Chef in March 2022. Enrico upholds Nobu's philosophy of simplicity and taste, focusing on local, high-quality ingredients, and aims to infuse Mediterranean elements into the dishes.

🏨 Meliá Hotels International announces new vice presidents Montserrat Trapé Viladomat and Cristina Aldámiz-Echevarría González de Durana, effective post-General Shareholders' Meeting, May 8-9, 2025, in Palma de Mallorca. Trapé, with Meliá since 2022, brings 40 years of legal experience and chairs Audit and Compliance. Aldámiz-Echevarría, with ACS since 2002, oversees Operations, Investments, and Sustainability. These appointments aim to strengthen Meliá's leadership and competitive edge.

🏨 OTH Hotels Resorts, a Virginia-based company, has taken over third-party management of the 220-room Holiday Inn Birmingham Airport near Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport in Alabama. The property offers a variety of amenities including an outdoor pool, a fitness center, 2,808 square feet of meeting space, and a complimentary airport shuttle. In collaboration with SIGAlabama LLC, OTH is planning strategic enhancements and a full-scale renovation to improve operations, guest experience, and the hotel’s market position.

📢 Omni Hotels & Resorts names Adam Hayashi as Chief Revenue Officer, with Jeff Doane as his direct report. Hayashi, with over 20 years in hospitality, previously served as Global VP of Revenue Management at Accor, overseeing 120+ Fairmont and Raffles properties. Recognized as one of HSMAI’s Top 25 Extraordinary Minds (2019), he's also on the Americas Board of HSMAI and IDeaS Customer Advisory Board. His role reflects Omni's data-driven growth and strategic leadership aspirations in a competitive industry.

🎓 Philippe Vignon named General Director of Glion Institute of Higher Education starting June 16, 2025; tasked with expanding the Swiss institution’s global academic brand. With 30+ years of experience, his resume includes roles at Geneva Tourism, Edipresse Digital, EasyJet, and L'Oréal Suisse. Vignon will lead Glion’s campuses in Switzerland and the UK, pushing growth, innovation, and strategic partnerships, while serving on boards and advising on programs like Vision 2030 in Saudi Arabia and sustainable travel startups.

📌 Omni Hotels & Resorts appointed Adam Hayashi as Chief Revenue Officer in Dallas, Texas. Hayashi, with over 20 years in hospitality, previously served as Global VP of Revenue Management at Accor. He reports to Jeff Doane, Omni’s Chief Commercial Officer. Hayashi is recognized for his expertise beyond revenue management and contributions to the industry, including his role on the HSMAI America’s Board and being named one of HSMAI’s Top 25 Extraordinary Minds in 2019.