Global Update: Who’s where and doing what – January 2013

Heads above the Rest – Hotel Staff News of The Boutique Search Firm, a worldwide retained recruiting firm specializing in hospitality management

THE AMERICAS
Cornell graduate Joseph Violi will soon be in Key West as General Manager for the Reach and Casa Marina united as a Waldorf Astoria property. For the past three years, he had been overseeing the Doubletree Hotel Sonoma Wine Country. Violi is also a Ritz-Carlton veteran.

Stephen Ast is taking over from Michael Hoffman as General Manager at The Boulders. Ast was most recently overseeing the Boca Raton Resort and Club. Both Boca and the Boulders are Waldorf Astoria properties. Ast is no stranger to the region, having previously spent three years at the helm of the Arizona Biltmore (under KSL ownership) and over ten years at the Fairmont Princess, when it was still the Scottsdale Princess.

Christoph Moje has left his post as Hotel Manager at the Hotel Bel-Air to join the Oceana in Santa Monica as General Manager. He had joined his former colleague, Ed Mady, at the Hotel Bel-Air after working with him at the New York Palace and the Ritz-Carlton San Francisco. Moje had previously served in various posts at the former Ritz-Carlton Rancho Mirage and the former Ritz-Carlton Dearborn.

Matthias Kammerer has moved over to the Biltmore as Managing Director. For the past six years, he had been with Canyon Ranch Miami Beach in a similar capacity. He is the former General Manager of the Sonesta Beach Resort Key Biscayne, and the Sonesta Beach Resort Anguilla.

Marriott International has named Kevin Schwab Vice President for Mexico. He was most recently serving as Vice President and General Manager of the Aruba Marriott Resort. Schwab is the former Vice President and Managing Director of the Ritz-Carlton Macao Studio City.

Alex Obertop has been named General Manager for the Capella Washington D.C., slated to open this year. He was most recently the Hotel Manager at Capella’s Breidenbacher Hof in Dusseldorf.

Tom Haines has been appointed General Manager at the Epicurean Hotel in Tampa scheduled to open in November. Most recently, he was the Executive Assistant Manager at the Loews Portofino Bay Hotel.

Cornelia Samara has been appointed General Manager at the Andaz Fifth Avenue. Samara has spent almost ten years with Hyatt Hotels & Resorts, previously serving in rooms management positions at the Park Hyatt San Francisco, the Hyatt Regency Boston and the Park Hyatt Washington D.C.

Pablo Veloso has been appointed General Manager of the new Buenos Aires Grand Hotel. He was most recently serving as General Manager for the Algodon Mansion.

Randall Obrecht has been promoted to General Manager at the Sorrento in Seattle, taking over from Sam Johnson. Obrecht joined the hotel in 2011 as Director of Food and Beverage.

Rui Domingues has been appointed General Manager at the British Colonial Hilton Nassau. He was most recently the General Manager of both the Hilton Papagayo Costa Rica Resort & Spa and the Hilton Garden Inn Liberia Airport.

Larry Magor has been appointed Managing Director for the Omni Dallas. He is the former Managing Director of the Omni Mount Washington Resort in New Hampshire.

Craig Smith has been promoted to the newly created position of Regional President – Caribbean and Latin America for Marriott International. He was most recently serving the company as Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for Asia Pacific.

Hans van Wees has been named General Manager of the Hotel Vermont, scheduled to open this spring. He is the former General Manager of the Trapp Family Lodge in Stowe.

Don Fennerty has been appointed General Manager of the Fairmont Empress. He was most recently General Manager at sister property the Fairmont Hotel Macdonald.

Garrett Turta takes over from Fennerty as General Manager of the Fairmont Hotel Macdonald. Turta was most recently the General Manager of the Fairmont St. Andrews in Scotland. He is the former General Manager at the Fairmont Algonquin.

Tony Bruno is back: after a 25-year career with Disney that saw him rise to Vice President Hotels & Downtown Disney at Disneyland, he is now the General Manager of the Sheraton Park Anaheim.

Scheduled to open in July, the Aloft Orlando Downtown has named Craig Leicester General Manager. He is the former General Manager for Sundy House and the Celebration Hotel.

Change at the helm of the Andaz West Hollywood where immensely popular General Manager Philip Dailey is leaving for a soon to be announced destination. Lin Schatz, General Manager of the Hyatt Key West takes over.

Andrew Casperson has been named Area Managing Director and General Manager for the Omni Fort Worth. He is the former Area Managing Director for the Omni Mandalay Hotel at Las Colinas near Dallas. He previously served as General Manager of the W Chicago City Center and the W Dallas Victory.

William Owen has joined the Gastonia Conference Center in North Carolina as General Manager. He is the former Director of Food and Beverage at Kingston Plantation.

Michael Platt has been appointed General Manager at the Viceroy Santa Monica. He was most recently the General Manager of the Hilton Long Beach. He is the former General Manager for El San Juan Hotel & Casino.

Claes Landberg has been named General Manager of the Yotel New York, taking over from Geoffrey Mills who went to the Crowne Plaza Times Square. This is a return to New York for Landberg who had previously served at the front office for the New York Hilton and Towers in the late nineties. For the past few years, he had been in Las Vegas, overseeing operations at the Monte Carlo Hotel and Casino, Red Rock Hotel and Casino and the Green Valley Ranch Resort and Spa.

Kurt Englund has been appointed General Manager at the Bohemian Hotel Savannah Riverfront. He was previously the General Manager at the Bristol Ventura in Panama. Prior, he had served eighteen years with Four Seasons overseeing the Four Seasons Punta Mita, the Four Seasons Toronto and the Four Seasons Whistler.

Cobblers Cove in Barbados has appointed Alistair Forrest General Manager. Forrest most recently was the General Manager of the Blue Waters Resort and the Cove Suites in Antigua.

St. Lucia Resort, The BodyHoliday has appointed Stephen Husbands General Manager. For the past four years, he had been with Tulip Hotels & Resorts in various posts.

Mahesh Reddy has been named General Manager of the Westin Columbus. He is the former General Manager at the Hilton Anchorage.

The Fairmont Royal York has named Tim Morrison Hotel Manager. He was most recently the General Manager at the Pinnacle Hotel at the Pier in North Vancouver.

John Sullivan has joined the Ritz-Carlton Boston Common as Director of Operations and Hotel Manager. For the past two years, he had been with the Ritz-Carlton Marina del Rey as Director of Food and Beverage after serving in the same post for the Ritz-Carlton Phoenix. He had previously served in food and beverage posts within the Ritz-Carlton Dallas and the former Ritz-Carlton Dearborn.

Amy Kantorczyk returns to her former Director of Operations role with her move to the Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa. Kantorczyk was previously Director of Operations for the Fairmont Vancouver Airport before taking on her most recent role as Director of Food and Beverage at the Fairmont Kea Lani.

The Arizona Biltmore has named Chintan Dadhich Director of Operations. Most recently, he was the Director of Rooms at sister Waldorf Astoria property La Quinta Resort & Spa.

Maxence Compagnon is now in California as Director of Operations at the Fairmont Newport Beach. He was most recently in Boston at the Fairmont Battery Wharf as Director of Operations.

Davidson Hotels & Resorts has appointed Barry Wabler Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. He is the former Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for Hotel Equities Group.

At the St. Regis New York, Ryan Musco takes over from Danny Corral as Director of Finance. Musco spent the past three years as Director of Finance at Starwood sister property, the W Boston.

James Morrissey has been appointed Controller for ONE Bal Harbour Resort & Spa in Miami Beach. He had previously served as Group Controller for London Bay Homes and is the former Director of Operations and Controller for the Quail Creek Country Club.

Patrick Snodgrass has been appointed Controller for the Chaminade Resort & Spa in Santa Cruz. He was most recently the Controller for the St. Louis Union Station Marriott and the Renaissance St. Louis Hotel-Airport.

Simon de Swaan has been promoted to Director of Food and Beverage and joined the Four Seasons New York. He was most recently at the Four Seasons Boston as Assistant Director of Food and Beverage.

Colan Vance has joined San Ysidro Ranch as Director of Food and Beverage. He was most recently in the same post at Round Hill Hotel and Villas in Jamaica. He had previously held food and beverage posts with Ark Restaurants, the French Laundry and the Inn at Little Washington. At San Ysidro, he replaces Stéphane Colling.

Connie Richey takes over from Nicolas Dubort as Director of Food and Beverage at the Huntley Hotel in Santa Monica. She was most recently overseeing food and beverage for the Avalon in Beverly Hills and had previously served as Assistant Director of Food and Beverage at the Beverly Hills Hotel.

Luke Forzano has joined the SLS Las Vegas as Culinary Director. He was most recently the Executive Chef at the Loews Portofino Bay at Universal Orlando. He is the former Executive Sous Chef with Wynn Resorts.

Jeff Carcara has joined Del Frisco’s Restaurant Group as Chief Operating Officer. He was most recently with Seasons 52 as Senior Director of Operations. He is the former Corporate Director of Food and Beverage for the Kessler Collection.

Laszlo Nagy-Berta has joined El Encanto as Director of Engineering. He was most recently the Chief Engineer at the nearby Canary Hotel.

Patrick Jorio has been appointed Director of Engineering and Product Development for Occidental Hotels & Resorts based in Playa del Carmen. He is the former Director of Technical Services for Paradisus Playa del Carmen and Director of Engineering Western Europe for Hilton Worldwide.

Orient-Express has named Heinrich Olckers Regional Director, Learning and Development. He is the former Hotel Manager of the Peninsula Beverly Hills and General Manager for the Kruger Park Lodge.

Virginie Plin has moved to Soho House in West Hollywood as Director of Human Resources. For the past two years, she had been serving as Executive Director of Human Resources for the London West Hollywood. She had previously served in human resources and training posts with Four Seasons Resorts South Pacific, the W Chicago Lakeshore and the Omni Chicago.

Christine Wilsek has moved to the Langham Chicago as Director of Human Resources. She was most recently in the same position in Pasadena for the Langham Huntington. Wilsek is the former Director of Human Resources for the Millenium Biltmore Hotel.

Lisseth Zouhbi takes over from Wilsek at the Langham Huntington as Director of Human Resources. She was most recently in a similar role for the Fairmont Newport Beach. Zouhbi had previously served in human resources roles for the US Grant Hotel in San Diego and the Westin South Coast Plaza.

Jason Brown has moved to the Hotel Bel-Air as Director of Human Resources. Brown was most recently at the Beverly Wilshire as Assistant Director of Human Resources. He had previously served in human resources posts with the Four Seasons San Francisco, the Four Seasons Palm Beach and the Waldorf=Astoria.

Rachel Chishty is now in San Antonio as Executive Director of Human Resources for the Westin La Cantera Hill Country Resort. For the past four years, she had served as Director of Human Resources at the SLS at Beverly Hills. She is the former Director of Human Resources at the Sheraton Bal Harbor.

Joe Garciaros takes over from Chishty as Director of Human Resources at the SLS at Beverly Hills. Since 2003, he had served as Regional Director, Human Resources, at the Viceroy Hotel Group. He is the former Director of Human Resources at the Sheraton Gateway Hotel.

Karen DiFulgo has joined Benchmark Hospitality as Vice President Human Resources. She was the Vice President Human Resources at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center.

David Dart has been named Director of Human Resources for the Cheyenne Mountain Resort. He is the former Director of Human Resources at the Estancia La Jolla Hotel & Spa.

Luis Mirabelli has been appointed Vice President Development, Latin America, for Wyndham, based in Buenos Aires. He was most recently with RCI Latin America as Vice President of Business Development South America.

Jay Rosen has joined Davidson Hotels & Resorts as Vice President, Business Development. Rosen, a Cornell graduate, was most recently part of the development and finance team for Baha Mar in the Bahamas.

Scot Hamilton has been appointed Vice President of Marketing for Noble House Hotels & Resorts. Since 2005 he had served as Director of Sales and Marketing for Noble House’s LaPlaya Beach & Golf Resort.

Ricardo Echeverri has joined the Aloft Orlando Downtown as Director of Sales and Marketing. He was most recently serving as Corporate Transient Sales Manager for the Kessler Collection.

Bob Fett has been appointed Director of Sales and Marketing for Somerset on Grace Bay on Turks & Caicos. He was most recently the President of the Momentum Event Network and the former Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Oak Brook Hotels.

Pegah Ghoushbeigui has moved to the Capella Washington, D.C. as Director of Sales and Marketing. She was most recently serving as Director of Sales and Marketing for the Latham Hotel.

Forty 1 North in Rhode Island has named Paul Sauceda Director of Sales and Marketing. He was most recently serving as Director of Sales and Marketing for the Ames Hotel in Boston. Sauceda had previously held sales posts for the Boston Plaza Park and the Liberty Hotel.

Julie Korountchev has been named Director of Sales and Marketing for the International Palms Resort and Conference Center Cocoa Beach. She was most recently the Area Director of Sales and Marketing for the Hilton Melbourne Beach Oceanfront and the Doubletree Suites by Hilton Melbourne Oceanfront.

Robert Baldassari has been named Director of Sales and Marketing at the Inn at Pocono Manor. Since 1994, he had been Director of Sales and Marketing at Skytop Lodge in Pennsylvania.

The Strand Development Company has promoted Allan Brunner to Corporate Director of Sales and Marketing. Most recently, he served as Regional Director of Sales for the company.

The All Inclusive Collection has named Kari Dehn Director of Sales, Meetings and Incentives – Midwest. She is the former Global Sales Director – Incentive and Corporate Markets with Melia Hotels and Director of National Accounts for the Wailea Beach Marriott Resort & Spa and Waikoloa Beach Marriott Resort & Spa.

Jennifer Myers has been appointed Global Account Director for Sonesta Hotels, based in Chicago. She is the former Director Global Sales – Memberships for Club Quarters.

Mark Kerwin has joined El Encanto as Director of Leisure Sales. For the past five years, he had been overseeing sales and marketing for Las Ventanas al Paraíso for Rosewood, based in Los Angeles. He is the former Director of Sales at the Hotel Bel-Air and the Peninsula Beverly Hills.

Judy Whidden was appointed Director of Travel Industry Sales for the Viceroy Anguilla. For the past ten years, she had been with Ritz-Carlton, most recently as Area Senior Account Executive, Wholesale Caribbean & Mexico.

Beth Muehlethaler has joined the Lodge & Spa at Brush Creek Ranch as Sales Manager. For the past decade, she had been with Sage Hospitality, most recently serving as Director of Business Development and previously as Divisional Director of Sales for the Extended Stay Division.

The Waldorf Astoria Chicago has named Leonardo Lorenzo Director of Catering. He was most recently the Senior Catering Sales Manager at the Waldorf=Astoria.

The St. Regis Aspen has appointed Tobias Rimkus Director of Catering and Conference Services. He had previously held similar posts with the St. Regis Bal Harbour and the St. Regis Houston.

David Sigman has joined El Encanto as Director of Catering. He was most recently in the same role at Bacara Resort and Spa. He is also the former General Manager of the Wine Cask in Santa Barbara.

The Sheraton Framingham Hotel & Conference Center has named Blake Alleyn Director of Catering. He was most recently serving as the Director of Catering at the Sheraton Needham.

Wendy Fisher has been named Catering Manager at the St. Regis Aspen. She was most recently on Kauai, overseeing wedding events for the St. Regis Princeville Resort. She is the former Director of Catering at La Posada de Santa Fe Resort.

Kristin Mazeika has joined the Sheraton Framingham Hotel & Conference Center as Social Catering Manager. She was most recently an Event Services Manager at the Doubletree by Hilton Hotel Boston – Westborough.

Christine Lo has moved over as Senior Catering Manager to the Waldorf Astoria Chicago. She was most recently with the catering department at the Hard Rock Hotel Chicago.

Freddy Vargas will be joining SBE’s Mercato di Vetro as Executive Chef. Vargas was most recently with Scott Conant’s Scarpetta in the Montage Beverly Hills as Chef de Cuisine.

Replacing Vargas at Scarpetta is Alex Stratta. He was most recently overseeing his now shuttered namesake two-Michelin starred restaurant Alex in the Wynn Las Vegas.

Patrice Martineau has been named Executive Chef for El Encanto in Santa Barbara. Martineau was most recently serving as Chef de Cuisine at Peter in the Peninsula Tokyo. He is the former Executive Chef at the Savoy in London and Chef de Cuisine at Restaurant Daniel in New York.

Troy Thompson has joined the Sunset Marquis as Executive Chef, taking over from Guillaume Burlion. Thompson had previously served as Executive Chef for Kress Hollywood, David Burke in the Venetian Hotel and for Jer-Ne in the Ritz-Carlton Marina del Rey.

Willis Loughhead has moved to the Union League Club in New York as Executive Chef. He is the former Executive Chef for the Plaza and the Cooper Square Hotel.

Chris Crary is now overseeing the kitchen for 41 Ocean in Santa Monica. He was most recently Chef de Cuisine at Whist in the Viceroy Santa Monica.

Michel Réthoré has taken over the kitchen at Bouche on Nob Hill, replacing opening chef Nico Borzee. Réthoré’s was most recently at Restaurant Le Cygory in Montpellier and had previously earned a Michelin star as the Executive Chef of Le Domaine de la Tortinière in Veigné.

The Wynn Las Vegas has named Joseph Elevado Executive Chef of Andrea’s in Encore. He was most recently the Executive Chef for L’Ermitage Beverly Hills. Previously, he was overseeing the kitchen at Social House in Las Vegas and served a nine-year stint at Nobu.

Ben Dayag has stepped up to take over from Elevado as Executive Chef at L’Ermitage Beverly Hills. Dayag was most recently serving as Chef de Cuisine at the hotel.

Barnyard in Venice has named Jesse Barber Executive Chef, taking over from Jeremy Fox. For the past three years, Barber had served as Chef de Cuisine at nearby the Tasting Kitchen.

The Westin Resort & Spa Los Cabos has named Manuel Peruyero Executive Chef. Peruyero was previously Executive Sous Chef at nearby Capella Pedregal.

Benjamin Bailly is now in the kitchens of the Hollywood Roosevelt. He was most recently the Executive Chef at the nearby Cliff’s Edge Restaurant. He is the former Executive Chef of Fraiche in Culver City and Petrossian in West Hollywood. Bailly had previously spent five years with Joël Robuchon in Las Vegas, Paris and Monte Carlo.

The Alexander in Indianapolis has named Jeremy Martindale Executive Chef. He was most recently the Executive Chef for the Omni New Haven at Yale.

David Morris has been named Executive Chef at the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess. He is the former Executive Sous Chef at Aria Resort and Casino.

Davide Pugliese has been named Executive Chef at Scrub Island Hotel and Marina BVI. He was most recently consulting for Amangiri and the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda.

Jason Dalling has been named Executive Chef for the Fairmont Pittsburgh. He is the former Executive Chef for the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge and the Fairmont Washington, D.C.

Arwi Odense had been promoted to Executive Chef and joined the Fairmont Battery Wharf. He is the former Executive Sous Chef at the Fairmont Vancouver Airport and, most recently, the Fairmont Newport Beach.

Gregory Farrell has been promoted to Executive Chef at the Woodstock Inn and Resort in Vermont. He originally joined the resort in 2004 as Executive Sous Chef.

Emre Balli has moved to El Encanto as Beverage Manager. He was most recently in a similar post at nearby San Ysidro Ranch.

Kelly Canizaro is now overseeing the front office at El Encanto. She was most recently in a similar role in New York for the Carlyle.

Charles Hawkins has returned to the Four Seasons Los Angeles at Beverly Hills. He had previously served eleven years at the hotel before taking on his most recent role as Chef Concierge at sister property, the Beverly Wilshire.

Jérome Jeannest has returned to Southern California to take on the role of Director of Concierges and Guest Services for the SLS at Beverly Hills. He had previously served in concierge and guest services posts for the Palazzo in Las Vegas, the InterContinental Los Angeles, the Sofitel Los Angeles, the Park Hyatt Los Angeles and the former St. Regis Los Angeles. He was most recently serving as Assistant Chef Concierge at the Cosmopolitan.

EUROPE
Rezidor has appointed Olivier Harnisch Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, based in Brussels. Harnisch is taking over from Wolfgang Neumann who is taking over from Kurt Ritter as the company’s new President and Chief Executive Officer. Harnisch was most recently Vice President, Northern and Central Europe, at Hilton Worldwide.

Stuart Wareman has been appointed European Director of Strategic Alliances & Partnerships at Marriott International, based in London. For the past ten years he had been with MEC Access as Business Director.

Rezidor has appointed Elie Younes Senior Vice President, Head of Group Development, based in Brussels. He joined Rezidor’s regional office in Dubai in 2010 as Vice President, Business Development, Middle East & Africa. He is the former Vice President Development for Hilton Hotels Worldwide and Senior Director of Acquisitions and Development for Starwood Hotels.

Mauro Governato is now the General Manager of the Four Seasons Hotel Ritz Lisbon, taking over from Guilhermo Costa now at the Four Seasons Houston. He was previously the General Manager for the former Four Seasons Terre Blanche after joining the resort in 2007 as Resort Manager. He was previously with One&Only Resorts for seven years, with his last post as General Manager of the One&Only Ocean Club.

Pascal Leprou has been appointed General Manager at the Mövenpick Hotel Paris Neuilly . He is the former General Manager at Le Méridien Nice and the Columbus Hotel Monte Carlo.

The Hôtel du Cap-Eden-Roc has promoted Laurent Van Hoegaerden to Hotel Manager. He was most recently serving as Resident Manager and had previously held the post of Food and Beverage Manager for the resort. Before joining the Hotel du Cap in 2006, he spent six years at the Hôtel de Crillon.

Brice Kemper has been promoted to Resident Manager at the Hôtel du Cap-Eden-Roc, taking over for Van Hoegaerden. Kemper joined the resort in 2006 as Rooms Division Manager before being promoted to his most recent post of Director of Rooms, Sales and Marketing.

The Hotel Okura Amsterdam has named Emmy Stoel General Manager. She takes over from Marcel Van Aelst who has been General Manager since 1994 and will remain as President. She joined the hotel in 2008 as Deputy General Manager and in 2011 was appointed Acting General Manager.

Paul Kernatsch has been named Managing Director of the Schloss Fuschl Betriebe in Salzburg, taking over from Wolfgang Greiner, now General Manager of the Mandarin Oriental Munich. Kernatsch was most recently the General Manager at the Grand Elysée Hamburg. He is the former Managing Director of the Kempinski Hotel Elephant in Weimar.

Meredith Bevan has been named General Manager for the Hilton London Heathrow Terminal 5. Bevan was most recently overseeing the Hilton London Paddington.

Mark Roth takes over from Bevan as General Manager of the Hilton London Paddington. He was most recently the Hotel Manager for the Hilton Fukuoka Sea Hawk.

Ulf Kasten is now in Visp running the Tiziano Hotel. He was most recently overseeing the Artemis Hotel.

Klosters Walserhof has named Mathias Rohner General Manager. He was most recently Deputy Director of Rooms for the Grand Resort Bad Ragaz.

Andrew Batchelor has been appointed Hotel Manager at the Landmark Hotel in London. He moves from the same position at sister hotel, the Lancaster London.

Sally Beck takes over from Batchelor as Hotel Manager at the Lancaster London. For the past twelve years, she had been overseeing marketing for the Landmark London.

Cornell graduate Nicholas Wirth comes from the Setai Fifth Avenue to take over as Chief Financial Controller for the Artemis Hotel, the Marmotte, and the Walser, all in Saas-Fee. Joining Wirth as Chief Operating Officer is Peter Feierabend.

Michael Gutmeyr has been named Executive Assistant Manager at the Artemis Hotel in Switzerland. He was most recently serving as Assistant Manager at sister property, the Marmotte Hotel.

Joseph Lee has been appointed Director of Food and Beverage at the Fairmont Grand Hotel Kyiv in the Ukraine. He joined the hotel as pre-opening Executive Chef in 2011. He is the former Executive Chef at the Fairmont Heliopolis & Towers Cairo.

Sophie Volant has been promoted to Director of Sales and Marketing for both Hôtel du Cap-Eden-Roc and the Château Saint-Martin & Spa. She was most recently serving both hotels as Director of Sales.

The Savoy has hired Marie-Laure Akdag who has been named Regional Director of Sales and Marketing for Fairmont. She was most recently the Hotel Manager at 45 Park Lane, London.

Samuel Berne has joined the Evian Resort (the former Royal Club Evian) as Director of Sales and Marketing. He is the former Director of Sales and Marketing at Le Mirador Kempinski above Lake Geneva.

Rocco Forte Hotels has appointed Christian Renz Global Sales Director, based in London. He is the former Vice President of Sales for Kempinski Hotels.

Elena Verenchuk has been promoted to Director of Sales at the Fairmont Grand Hotel Kyiv. She has been with the hotel since pre-opening most recently as Assistant Director of Sales.

Yannick Alleno is moving to LVMH Bernard Arnault’s Hotel Cheval Blanc in Courchevel as Executive Chef. For the past ten years he had served as Executive Chef for Le Meurice Paris, where his highly creative cuisine earned him Three Michelin Stars.

Stéphanie Le Quellec is the new Executive Chef of the Prince de Galles in Paris, slated to open her signature restaurant, Le Quellec. The French Top Chef winner is the former Executive Chef at the former Four Seasons Provence at Terre Blanche.

Michael Kober has been named Executive Chef at the Victoria-Jungfrau in Interlaken succeeding Torsten Götz. Kober was most recently serving as Executive Chef with German catering group, Käfer Schweiz AG.

The Fairmont St. Andrews has appointed Alan Matthew Executive Chef. He was most recently the Executive Chef for the Marriott Dalmahoy Hotel Golf & Country Club in Edinburgh.

Emil Minev has joined the Shangri-La London as Executive Chef. He was most recently at Shangri-La’s Villingili Resort in the Maldives as Executive Chef.

David Lestelle has been appointed Spa Manager for the Grand Hôtel de Bordeaux & Spa. He was most recently in a similar role for the Hôtel Majestic in Cannes. He had previously overseen spa operations for the Hôtel du Cap Eden Roc, the Château Saint-Martin & Spa and the Hôtel de Paris in Monaco.

ASIA AND THE PACIFIC
Tracy Atherton, who had been General Manager at Amankila for the past nine years, is leaving Aman to open the East Hotel in Canberra, Australia.

Ralf Bruegger has been appointed Group General Manager at Blue Mountains Resorts in Sydney replacing Brian McHenry. Bruegger is the former General Manager at the Observatory Hotel in Sydney.

Hayman has appointed Scott Murray General Manager. He was most recently with the One&Only Royal Mirage, Dubai for six years, most recently as Hotel Manager. He is the former Director of Food and Beverage for the InterContinental Dubai.

The Four Seasons Chiang Mai has named Ali Mohammed Camp Manager. He was most recently the Director of Rooms at the Four Seasons Maldives at Kuda Huraa. He is the former Assistant Director of Rooms at the Four Seasons Damascus.

Jeff Miller is now at the Four Seasons Chiang Mai as Resort Manager, taking over from Charles Fisher who is now at the Four Seasons Lanai at Manele Bay. Since 2010, Miller had been with the Four Seasons Vail as Director of Rooms and Residences. He is the former Assistant Director of Rooms at the Four Seasons Seattle.

Dean Rossilli has been appointed General Manager for the Pan Pacific Orchard in Singapore. He is the former Regional General Manager of Thistle/Guoman Hotels and Resorts in Malaysia.

Herbert Laubichler-Pichler has been appointed General Manager for the Raffles Hainan, opening this spring. He was most recently overseeing the Shangri-La Resort and Spa, Cebu in the Philippines. Laubichler is the former General Manager of the Shangri-La Kuala Lumpur and the Nam Hai, Hoi An.

Philippe Kronberg has been named General Manager of the Hilton Pattaya in Thailand. He is the former General Manager at the Hilton Guangzhou Baiyun.

David Ryan has been named General Manager of the Radisson Blu Plaza Bangkok scheduled to open in late 2013. He was most recently serving as General Manager, Special Projects, for Carlson Rezidor in Asia Pacific.

Graham Kiy has been appointed General Manager at the Jumeirah Vittaveli Resort in the Maldives. He is the former Hotel Manager for the Jumeirah Zabeel Saray, Dubai.

Ulrich Hoffgen has been appointed General Manager at the Centara Ras Fushi Resort & Spa Maldives. He is the former Resident Manager at the Constance Halaveli Resort Maldives, and Director of Food and Beverage at the Irufushi Beach & Spa Resort.

David Coyle has been appointed General Manager for the Swiss-Belhotel Golden Sand Resort & Spa, Hoi An in Vietnam. Coyle is the former General manager at the Allamanda Phuket.

Sébastien Menesguen has been appointed General Manager of the Eden Hotel Kuta in Bali. He most recently was the General Manager of the Harris Hotel & Residences Riverview Kuta.

Alex Willats has been named General Manager of the Dusit Thani Manila. Willats was most recently the General Manager of the Dusit Thani Bangkok.

James Wilson takes over from Willats as General Manager of the Dusit Thani Bangkok. Wilson was most recently overseeing the Dusit Thani Dubai.

Sherona Shng has been appointed Hotel Manager for the Langham Hong Kong. She was most recently serving as Vice President – Communications and Public Relations for parent company, the Langham Hospitality Group.

Philipp Knuepfer has been promoted to Hotel Manager and transferred to the Mandarin Oriental Taipei scheduled to open later this year. He was most recently at the Mandarin Oriental Singapore as Executive Assistant Manager.

Daniel Grau has moved to the soon-to-open Rosewood Beijing as Hotel Manager. For the past seventeen years, he had been with Four Seasons, most recently as Hotel Manager at the Four Seasons Beijing. He had joined the hotel in 2010 as Director of Residences, after serving in various rooms management positions at the Four Seasons Shanghai and the Four Seasons Los Angeles at Beverly Hills.

The Fairmont Pacific Rim has promoted Rudi Gimmi to the position of Hotel Manager. He was most recently serving as Director of Operations.

Jeffrey Perkins has been named Director of Operations for the Turtle Bay Resort on Oahu. He is the former Director of Housekeeping for the St. Regis Bahia Beach Resort in Puerto Rico and Director of Rooms for the Trump Ocean Club International Hotel & Tower, Panama City.

Michael Fields has been appointed Director of Finance for the Turtle Bay Resort on Oahu. He is the former Director of Finance for Park Place Hospitality.

Nicolas Dubort is now in China assisting food and beverage for the Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong. He was most recently the Director of Food and Beverage at the Huntley in Santa Monica. He had previously served in food and beverage posts with the Hotel Bel-Air, the Beverly Hills Hotel and the Dorchester in London.

Dominic Dimengo has joined the Sheraton Maui as Director of Human Resources. For the past four years, he had led human resources for Joie de Vivre Hospitality. He is the former Human Resources Manager for the W Atlanta Midtown and the Sheraton Midtown Atlanta.

David Campbell has been appointed Director of Sales and Marketing at the Rosewood Beijing. He had previously overseen sales and marketing for Twelve at Hengshan in Shanghai, the Peninsula Shanghai, the St. Regis Singapore and the Westin Bund Centre Shanghai.

Swiss-Belhotel has appointed Anna Kong Vice President Global Sales based in Jakarta. She is the former Director of International Sales with Toga Hospitality.

Viktoria Riley has been appointed Cluster Director of Sales and Marketing for the Anantara Phuket Villas, as well as the Anantara Phuket Layan Resort & Spa opening this year. She was most recently serving as Director of Sales and Marketing at the Sheraton Phoenix Airport Hotel.

Selina Chan has been named Director of Sales and Marketing for the Outrigger Phuket Beach Resort slated to reopen in March. She is the former Director of Sales and Marketing for the Mangrove Tree Resort.

Myla Caceres has been appointed Director of Sales and Marketing at the Crowne Plaza Bangkok Lumpini Park. Caceres was previously Director of Sales and Marketing at the Holiday Inn Bangkok Silom.

Jean-Francois Méteigner is now in Vietnam as Chef de Cuisine for Conny Andersson at the MGM Grand Ho Tram Beach. For the past eighteen years, he had been Chef and Owner of La Cachette and La Cachette Bistro in Los Angeles. Méteigner had held previous stints with Cicada and L’Orangerie, both in Los Angeles.

Shanghai’s Fairmont Peace Hotel has named J.W. Foster Executive Chef. He was most recently in the same role for the Fairmont San Francisco. He is the former Executive Chef at the Fairmont Dallas.

Jason Dell has been named Executive Chef at the Regent Bali. He is the former Executive Chef of Blanket Bay in New Zealand.

Guido Ulmann has been appointed Executive Chef at the Outrigger Reef on the Beach in Waikiki Beach. Since 2004, he had served as Executive Chef for the Waialae Country Club. He is the former Executive Chef for the Hilton Hawaiian Village, the Prince Kuhio Hotel and the Los Angeles Hilton & Towers.

Taking over from Ali Mohammed as Director of Rooms at the Four Seasons Maldives at Kuda Huraa is Takuya Kishi. He was most recently overseeing the transition of the Four Seasons Chinzan-So to an independent. He had previously served in rooms position for the Four Seasons San Francisco, the Four Seasons Maranouchi, and the Four Seasons Langkawi.

AFRICA AND THE MIDDLE EAST
The Four Seasons Tanzania has named Ned Brown Lodge Manager. The Cornell graduate is the former Hotel Manager for the Sheraton Grande Torrey Pines and the Ilikai Hotel Nikko Waikiki in Honolulu.

John McAree has been appointed General Manager at the Hilton Windhoek in South Africa, replacing opening General Manager Roman Kopacek. McAree was most recently the General Manager of the Hilton Addis Ababa in Ethiopia.

Chadi Gedeon has been appointed General Manager at the Mövenpick Hotel Apartments The Square Dubai. He was previously Resident Manager of the Mövenpick Hotel & Resort Al Bida’a in Kuwait.

Kevin Brett has been appointed Cluster General Manager overseeing the Jeddah Hilton and Qasr Al Sharq. He is the former General Manager of the Conrad Cairo, the Hilton Abu Dhabi, the Hilton Bahrain and the Hilton London Islington.

Olaya Nizar Weshah has been appointed General Manager at the Hyatt Regency Riyadh slated to open this year. He is the former Director of Operations for the Park Hyatt Jeddah.

Guillaume Durand has been named Hotel Manager of the Royal Livingstone in Zambia. He is the former Reservations Manager at the Falls Resort.

Riad Haider has been named Director of Food and Beverage at Emaar’s Al Manzil and Qamardeen Hotels in Dubai. He was most recently in a similar role at The Address Dubai Mall.

Joseph Kinuthia has been named Executive Chef at the Fairmont Mara Safari Club. He was most recently the Executive Chef at the Mara Leisure Camp in Kenya.

Lorraine Sinclair has joined the Fairmont Dubai as Executive Chef. She was most recently the Executive Chef at the Grand Tarabya Hotel in Istanbul.

Do you have news for us? Please do not hesitate to send us an e-mail at benoit@boutiquesearchfirm.com
Edited by Susana Parks, Benoit Gateau-Cumin & Lisa Leroy
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