Human Resources

🏢 ShaoWei Ong appointed as Chief People & Culture Officer at Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, effective 17 March 2025. She brings over 22 years of HR leadership across industries like hospitality, banking, fintech, and music. Previously at Jardine Schindler and Livi Bank, Ong's career spans Sony Music, Starwood Academy, Secoo Group, Wyndham Hotel Group, and United Overseas Bank. Holding a BA in Economics from the University of Waterloo, her role will be pivotal in Mandarin's ten-year transformation plan, focused on a people-centric strategy from their Hong Kong headquarters.

💰 Aimbridge Hospitality, based in Plano, Texas, expanded its Board of Managers with four new appointments - Glenn Alba, Rich Gomel, Carrie McIntyre, and Emanuel (Manny) Pearlman - following a balance sheet restructuring. CEO Craig S. Smith, alongside Steve Joyce, anticipates leveraging the board's expertise in hospitality, real estate, and finance. Aimbridge converted over $1 billion of debt into equity and received $100 million in new capital, setting the company to invest in strategy and performance growth. The new board members bring decades of experience from companies like Blackstone Real Estate, Two Sigma Real Estate, VIRIDIS Fund Solutions, and Liberation Investment Group.

🏨 Maximilian Abele is appointed as Brand Director at B&B Hotels Central & Northern Europe, responsible for Brand, Marketing, and Communications, leading a team of 13. He reports to CCO Frank Seedorff. Abele has worked with Lindner Hotel Group as VP of Marketing, Brand Management & Communications, and with Me and All Hotels, Tomorrowland, Pentahotels, and Mainz 05. B&B Hotels, headquartered in France, aims to strengthen their market leadership in the value-for-money segment and enhance guest experience.

💸 Suzanne Sangiovese has been named CEO of Riskline, succeeding founder Kennet Nordlien who becomes executive chairman. Sangiovese, with the company since 2010, aims to expand Riskline's market presence over five years. In a sector where women make up 67% of travel managers and 57% of travel supplier professionals, yet only 15.6% are travel tech leaders, her rise represents a significant gender shift in travel leadership.

💼 Julien Mattei appointed as Chief Investment Officer of a&o Hostels, bringing 15 years of European real estate investment experience including roles at The Social Hub and Norges Bank Investment Management. Chad Goodnough joins Stonebridge Companies as SVP of Sales Strategy & Innovation with 25 years of sales leadership background. Starwood Hotels appoints Isabella Gunnarsson and Asbjørn Rytter for commercial and sales roles at the 1 Hotel Copenhagen opening in Summer 2025. Hospitality industry sees shifts with new appointments at Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows, The Ritz-Carlton Denver, Bishop’s Lodge Auberge Resorts Collection, and Grand Hyatt San Antonio.

📦 James Walker appointed as CEO of Lunchbox, with Nabeel Alamgir as Executive Chairman to drive growth and innovation. Lunchbox saw a 340% increase in average deal size and 300% growth in product adoption since 2022. High-profile brands like Subway®, Nathan's Famous®, and Cinnabon® are part of Walker's 30+ years of executive experience. The new era includes a funding round led by a strategic investment from Shift4, aiming to integrate Lunchbox with Shift4's SkyTab POS system and prioritize profitability.

🏨 Whitbread, under a strategic agreement with Lambeth Council, aims to convert Phoenix House in Vauxhall, Central London, into a Premier Inn hotel, pending planning approval. Lambeth Council relocated in 2019, consolidating from 14 to 2 offices. Jonathan Langdon, Whitbread's Senior Acquisition Manager, highlights a decade-long search for a Vauxhall location and success in converting offices to hotels since the late 1990s. Whitbread plans to manage Phoenix House, with Lambeth Council retaining the head lease. An earlier attempt to lease the building failed due to the pandemic. The new hotel supports the Mayor of London's Night Time Enterprise Zones and aims for high environmental standards and job creation. Premier Inn manages over 85,500 rooms, targeting 125,000 rooms across the UK and Ireland.

🍴 Bret Thorn, Senior Food & Beverage Editor for Nation's Restaurant News since 1999 and Restaurant Hospitality from 2016, has expertise in food and beverage trends and French and Asian cuisines. He hosted "In the Kitchen with Bret Thorn" podcast, wrote for The New York Sun (2005-2008), and was part of Asia Times and Manager magazine in Thailand (1992-1997). With a BA in History from Tufts University, he also studied at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris. Thorn won the 2006 Jesse H. Neal Award, was president of the IFEC in 2005, and inducted into the Disciples d'Escoffier in 2014. He authored entries for the Oxford Encyclopedia (2012) and Oxford Companion to Sugar and Sweets (2015). Originally from Denver, he now resides in Brooklyn, N.Y. Contact him at [email protected] and follow him on social media.

📋 Hyatt appoints Marc Jacheet as group president for Europe, Middle East, and Africa, Javier Águila as chief growth officer and president of Inclusive Collection, and Jim Chu as head of owner relations. Civitas' new chief product officer is Andres Spitzer. The Westin Cape Coral Resort at Marina Village names Robert Nokley as general manager. Hotel Arts Barcelona appoints Renato De Oliveira as general manager. Nicola Migheli becomes managing director of Rosewood Castiglion del Bosco. Annette Rullman is now the senior sales manager for The Westin Grand Cayman Resort & Spa. Hilton Anatole appoints Josh Franklin as director of wellness and recreation. Octant Hotels expands its culinary team with Pendro Mendes as executive chef. Metaxa Hospitality Group's new general manager for Santo Collection is Serafim Karouzakis. Hospitality America hires multiple individuals, including Jennifer Colangelo and Shelby Sieg for the Element by Westin Charleston Airport, Renae Ouellette for Embassy Suites Greenville and Hampton Inn & Suites Greenville, Shay Brown for Home2Suites by Hilton Asheville Airport, and Meghan Macaulay as corporate director of revenue strategy. The Adolphus promotes Blaine Eads and Gricel Duran. Hotel 1000, LXR Hotels & Resorts enhances its culinary team with Juan Carlos Cabezas and Alejandro Ayala.

🏨 Cycas Hospitality appoints Naël El Assaad as Development Director to fuel growth across Europe. El Assaad brings experience from Knight Frank, Groupe Châteauform’, LWS Hospitality, and CAP’ETUDES, including securing the Voco by IHG hotel deal in Angers. Armed with an MBA from ESSEC Business School, his expertise in financial analysis and investment strategy will be key in expanding Cycas’ hotel management and investment presence in competitive markets, particularly in France. Craig Patterson, Chief Development Officer at Cycas, highlights El Assaad's role in navigating a competitive landscape at a dynamic growth phase, with El Assaad looking forward to MIPIM in Cannes.