Human Resources

💱 Accor appoints Coline Pont as new Director of Sustainable Development starting July 1, 2025. Pont has over 15 years of experience and was previously Purchasing Director at AXA. The outgoing director, Brune Poirson, contributed to Accor's sustainability roadmap for four years and will now pursue environmental transition projects in New York. Accor, a France-based hotel group, showcases its commitment to sustainability with this leadership transition.

📝 Hazel, pivoting from chemistry graduate to hospitality during the 2008 recession, became a PBX agent at W Atlanta Buckhead, which sparked her career in hospitality. She quickly ascended from a "whatever, whenever agent" to Director of Style (housekeeping) within 5 years at W, thanks to strong work ethics and seizing every opportunity. Hazel's journey then led her through various cities and roles: she assisted her sister's move to New York in 2013, landed a front office manager position at W New York Times Square, and later became Director of Operations in Chicago and Dallas. After familial events in 2019, Hazel moved closer to family in Washington, D.C., eventually becoming the General Manager at Le Meridien, Washington D.C. She champions building a positive team culture, honest communication, and developing leadership potential within her team, especially amongst women and underrepresented voices.

🍴 Christine Magrann appointed as president and COO of Whiskey Cake Kitchen & Bar and Mexican Sugar, owned by FB Society. FB Society also controls Haywire, The Ranch, Son of a Butcher, Legacy Food Hall, and Assembly Hall. Magrann has a history with Makeready's hotels and restaurants, including The Adolphus in Dallas, The Ryder Hotel and Emeline in Charleston, S.C., and The Halcyon in Denver, Colo. FB Society aims to enhance guest experiences and expand into new markets.

🍴 Christine Magrann appointed as president and COO of FB Society's Whiskey Cake Kitchen & Bar (12 units) and Mexican Sugar (4 units). FB Society, based in Dallas, also owns Haywire and The Ranch restaurants. Magrann previously led Makeready's hotel and restaurant portfolio, including The Adolphus in Dallas and The Halcyon in Denver. She joins FB Society's executive team with CFO Brad Leist and others. FB Society also manages Son of a Butcher, Legacy Food Hall, and Assembly Hall.

🍴 Christine Magrann named president and COO of FB Society's 12-unit Whiskey Cake Kitchen & Bar and four-unit Mexican Sugar. FB Society, based in Dallas, also owns Haywire, The Ranch, Son of a Butcher, Legacy Food Hall, and Assembly Hall. Magrann was previously president and COO at Makeready, leading Dallas-based hotels and restaurants, including The Adolphus, The Ryder Hotel, Emeline, and The Halcyon. FB Society's executive team includes Brad Leist, Jon Peck, and Jeff Carcara.

📖 Bret Thorn, Senior Food & Beverage Editor for Nation’s Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality since 1999, also contributed to The New York Sun from 2005 to 2008. He hosted the "In the Kitchen with Bret Thorn" podcast, wrote for Manager magazine and Asia Times while in Thailand (1992-1997), and served as IFEC president in 2005. Thorn won the 2006 Jesse H. Neal Award, authored comfort food entries in the Oxford Encyclopedia (2012), and a history of plated desserts (2015). A Tufts University magna cum laude graduate and Le Cordon Bleu attendee, he was inducted into the Disciples d’Escoffier in 2014 and resides in Brooklyn, N.Y.

🏦 On 26th March, 2025, in Helsinki, Finland, Bob W, a tech-powered hospitality operator, announced that Philip Ward, former CEO of JLL’s Hotels & Hospitality Group for EMEA, joined their Board of Directors. Ward has 35 years of experience, recently overseeing a team of 130 hotel experts across 10 countries. His appointment aligns with Bob W's European expansion, including a new building in Athens. The company, with over €70 million in funding, has grown to over 5000 units across 17 cities.