Below are the biographies, respectively, of the 2021 Independent and Corporate Hotelier of the World nominees.
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Corporate Hotelier of the World nominees
Sébastien Bazin, chairman, CEO, Accor, Paris
Bazin joined Accor’s Board of Directors in 2005 and, via Colony Capital, became a Paris Saint-Germain shareholder in 2006 and the club’s chairman in 2009. In August 2013, he resigned from his duties at Colony Capital and was appointed chairman and CEO of Accor. Through a series of mergers and acquisitions and strategy shifts he has turned Accor into one of the true innovators in the hotel space; from a hotel group to a holistic ecosystem of hospitality services.
Previously, after five years working in several financial positions in New York, San Francisco and London, Sébastien Bazin was appointed CEO of Hottinguer Rivaud Finances, an investment bank, in 1990, and then CEO of L’Immobilière Hôtelière, a hotel developer in France, in 1992.
In 1997, he moved to Colony Capital, a private real estate investment firm, to head up its European branch and lead several acquisitions, principally in the hospitality sector (Générale des Eaux, Club Méditerranée, Lucien Barrière, Fairmont and Raffles, Buffalo Grill, Château Lascombes, Stadia Consulting and others).
Along his journey at Accor, he first split the company into separate ownership and operating companies. In the years following his appointment he made multiple noteworthy acquisitions of hotel companies and tech-related firms, including stakes in the Mama Shelter brand and in 2015 the US$2.9 billion acquisition of FRHI Holdings, which included the Fairmont, Raffles and Swissôtel brands.
Bazin dabbled in the home rental business with luxury serviced-homes provider onefinestay (grouping TravelKeys, Squarebreak and onefinestay in 2017). Bazin also set up the Global Innovation Lab in 2016 to study all points in the hospitality industry and across all aspects of guests’ booking journeys, as well as evolving travel habits. And by the end of that year, Accor had also taken a 30% stake in German lifestyle brand 25hours and a 5% stake in Singapore-based resort brand, Banyan Tree.
Among other deals: a partnership with Bouygues Group to speed up the rollout of workspace initiative Nextdoor, which is now WOJO; a 50% stake in the Orient Express brand, which has since announced deals in major European markets, including Rome; it acquired Australia’s Mantra Group, one of the country’s largest operators with 127 properties and more than 20,000 rooms in the region and signed a strategic agreement with Mantis Group, the South Africa-based hospitality and travel conglomerate. Accor has also grown organically with the September 2016 launch of Jo&Joe, a social open-house experience.
More recently, Bazin led the rollout of large-scale initiatives to plan ahead for the economic recovery and consolidate its leadership position in the lifestyle segment: It created a streamlined lifestyle business unit through a merger with London’s Ennismore, which created a dedicated entity comprising 13 unique hotel brands, including a strategic partnership with the Faena brand.
Bazin has a Master of Business Administration from Université Panthéon Sorbonne.
Dr. Jennifer Cronin, president, Wharf Hotels, Hong Kong
An Australian, Dr. Cronin was appointed president of Wharf Hotels (formerly Marco Polo Hotels) in February 2016, after serving as vice president of sales and marketing from 2014. Previously, she held various senior marketing and operational positions in leading international hotel groups, including Hyatt International, Ritz-Carlton and Dusit International.
Her initial remit at Wharf Hotels was to launch the new luxury hotel brand, Niccolo, and open the first of the luxury portfolio, Niccolo Chengdu in 2015. The brand has been internationally acclaimed and has set the benchmark for openings in Chongqing and Changsha respectively, with Niccolo Suzhou to follow in 2021. The opening of the Hong Kong flagship property in 2018 in the conservation project, The Murray, a Niccolo Hotel, has already gained global recognition for this iconic landmark building.
Dedicated to spearheading new initiatives and strategic developments through transformational leadership has further strengthened the Niccolo and Marco Polo brands, reinforcing the group as one of the leading regional players in the hospitality industry.
Her commitment to professional development and supporting future hoteliers is evidenced with her appointment to Chairperson of Hong Kong Polytechnic University’s Industry Advisory Committee for the School of Hotel and Tourism Management, as well as Griffith University’s, (Hong Kong) Industry Committee and the Advisory Board of Bond Business School, Bond University and their HK Alumni Committee.
In 2019, Jennifer became Chair of the Hong Kong Heritage Tourism Brands alliance and a member of the Tourism Recovery Industry Task Force for the Hong Kong Tourism Board, as well as a member of the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau’s External Relations Committee.
Jennifer graduated with a Doctorate of Philosophy in 2016 from Bond University based on her PhD research, titled “Empowering Readiness; influencing crisis management success outcomes.” She was awarded the 2013 Australian Postgraduate Award, conferred by the Commonwealth’s Department of Innovation, Industry, Science & Research. Jennifer was also conferred Bond’s most prestigious alumni accolade, the Robert Stable Alumni Medal, for her exceptional achievement in bridging academia and industry.
The year 2016 culminated with Jennifer receiving the 2016 APAC BMW Corporate Hotelier of the Year Award. She was awarded the ACI Singapore 2017 Mentor of the Year Award, the Australia China Alumni Association’s 2018 Award for Corporate Achievement, the APacCHRIE Lifetime Achievement Award 2019 and the 2019 Griffith Business School Outstanding Alumnus Award. Jennifer is also a graduate of Griffith University’s School of Modern Asian Studies with a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in Japanese and economics.
Mark Hoplamazian, president and CEO, Hyatt Hotels Corp., Chicago
Mark Hoplamazian joined Hyatt Hotels Corp. as president and chief executive officer in 2006. Almost 15 years into his role, Hoplamazian has been the driving force in realizing Hyatt’s purpose – to care for people so they can be their best – with a focus on listening to guests, colleagues, customers, and owners, and with empathy at the center of all interactions and business decisions.
His role as Hyatt president and CEO is only Hoplamazian’s second job in hospitality – his first was as a night auditor at a London hotel in the 1980s. Under Hoplamazian’s leadership, Hyatt grew from 217 hotels to today’s portfolio of almost 1,000 properties. He led Hyatt through its IPO in 2009 as well as significant acquisitions like Miraval and Two Roads Hospitality.
Hoplamazian steered Hyatt through the COVID-19 pandemic with quick, decisive actions, inclusive of implementing Hyatt’s Global Care & Cleanliness Commitment; providing financial support to Hyatt colleagues most impacted by the pandemic through the Hyatt Care Fund; and partnering with the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) and his industry peers to lobby for greater federal aid for hotels and owners. In January 2021, Hoplamazian was named chair of the AHLA board of directors, a role in which he continues to lead the industry as it recovers and rebuilds from the pandemic.
Hoplamazian is a steadfast champion of diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I), serving as co-chair of Hyatt’s Global DE&I Council. In June 2020, he reaffirmed Hyatt’s focus on DE&I by launching its Change Starts Here commitments, accelerating Hyatt’s efforts to enact change for people of color, especially the Black community, and women. Hoplamazian is passionate about connecting young people from underserved communities with employment opportunities and champions this work as the board chair for Skills for Chicagoland’s Future, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping unemployed and underemployed job seekers find jobs.
A practitioner of meditation and keen believer in the power of mindfulness, Hoplamazian has led Hyatt to a holistic wellbeing strategy, which extends to colleagues, guests, customers and owners. Most recently, Hoplamazian introduced Hyatt Well-Check, a mental wellbeing tracker, to help Hyatt’s global colleagues prioritize and track their mental wellbeing as they navigate through the pandemic and beyond.
Prior to his CEO role at Hyatt, Hoplamazian served as president of The Pritzker Organization (TPO), the principal financial and investment adviser for Pritzker family business interests. During his 17-year tenure with TPO, he served as adviser to various Pritzker family-owned companies, including Hyatt Hotels Corp. and its predecessors. He previously worked in international mergers and acquisitions at The First Boston Corp. in New York.
Gerard “Jerry” Inzerillo, CEO, Diriyah Gate Development Authority, Riyadh, vice chairman, Forbes Travel Guide
Over the course of his five-decade career in the industry, Inzerillo has shown deep aptitude for positioning strategies and iconic developments, a champion of its people, and the creative and logistical mind behind some of the world’s most innovative luxury brands.
In June 2018, Inzerillo was appointed by HRH The Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to be the founding CEO of the newly created Diriyah Gate Development Authority, (DGDA), a US$20 billion-plus giga-project aimed at restoring and reimagining the ancestral home of the original Saudi state. He is charged with developing and implementing a master plan to turn 67 square kilometers into a gathering place encompassing cultural, entertainment, retail, hospitality, educational, religious, office and residential assets, with the UNESCO World Heritage site of At-Turaif as its center-point.
Inzerillo also serves as vice chairman of the Forbes Travel Guide, which presents The Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star Awards. As CEO of Forbes Travel Guide from 2014 to 2018, Inzerillo expanded the North American company’s international footprint to more than 100 countries.
Inzerillo was president and CEO of IMG Artists, the global artist management, performing arts and lifestyle events planning, from 2012 to 2014. At IMG Artists, he directed global strategies for music, events, festivals, government consulting and artist and facility management businesses.
From 1991 to 2011, Inzerillo was president of Kerzner Entertainment Group, where he raised the profile and positioning of its properties in South Africa, the Bahamas, Dubai, Morocco, Mauritius, Mexico, the Maldives, as well as conceptualized and positioned the start-up of its One&Only and Atlantis brands. He oversaw the now-legendary launches of The Lost City at Sun City in South Africa, Atlantis in the Bahamas and Atlantis, Dubai.
From 1991 to 1996, Inzerillo served as COO of Sun City, the unique South African resort complex built by Sol Kerzner. While in South Africa, he enjoyed a close personal friendship with President Nelson Mandela. In 1994, Inzerillo coordinated major portions of Mandela’s Presidential Inauguration in South Africa.
In 1987, he was the founding President and CEO of Morgans Hotel Group, later rebranded as Ian Schrager Hotels. While there, he conceptualized and opened Morgans, Royalton and Paramount in New York; the Delano in Miami Beach; and Mondrian in L.A.
In his personal life, Inzerillo has long been involved with philanthropy, especially with respect to children, education and HIV/AIDS. He was honored with a Knighthood by the Knights of Malta in Rome in 1996. He is also a founding advisory board member of the Clinton AIDS initiative.
Independent Hotelier of the World nominees
Ivan Artolli, managing director, Hotel de Paris Monte-Carlo, Société des Bains de Mer, Monaco
Artolli was appointed managing director at the Hotel de Paris in July 2016 following his 17-years tenure at Rocco Forte Hotels.
In his first two years with Hotel de Paris, he oversaw a US$300 million refurbishment program while keeping the hotel in operation and successfully preparing to reposition the property to its legendary “Grande Dame” hospitality tradition.
Born in Padua, Italy, Ivan has spent his entire working life in the luxury hospitality industry, gaining valuable experience at all levels in various hotel properties in Germany, UK, France, Monaco, Belgium and Italy.
He studied in Abano Terme at the Pietro D’Abano Hotel school, obtaining a degree in hospitality, and also attended courses at the Hospitality School of Lausanne and Cornell University in Ithaca, New York.
On graduation from hospitality school, Ivan worked at the Adriatico Palace in Trieste, Italy, where he rapidly climbed the ranks before joining Brenner’s Park Hotel in Baden Baden, Germany. He joined The Lygon Arms in Broadway, U.K., for a management training and eventually moved to Claridge’s in London at front desk.
After almost two years at the Ritz in Paris he moved to the Hotel de Paris Monte-Carlo as an assistant front office manager. Ivan joined the old Forte Hotels group in 1992 as a sales manager at the Beach Plaza in Monaco and later moved back to Paris where he worked at the Plaza Athénée as sales and marketing director.
At the beginning of 1997, he returned to Italy to work at the Villa d’Este Grand Hotel in Cernobbio as sales and markering director, before moving to the Grand Hotel in Milan as resident manager.
He joined the new Rocco Forte Hotels group in January 2000 as general manager of RF Hotel Savoy in Florence. From there he moved to RF Hotel Amigo in Brussels in June 2002 where he oversaw the completion of the hotels £17.5 million refurbishment and built up the hotel’s reputation as the best hotel in Belgium. He then joined the RF Balmoral Hotel Edinburgh in 2007 where he remained until August 2011 before appointing a new general manager to allow him to take up the position of RF Company operations director for UK, Russia and Belgium.
In February 2014 Sir Rocco Forte appointed Ivan to MD of Verdura Resort while retaining his operations director responsibilities of the Amigo Hotel in Brussels and being part of the Rocco Forte Company executive committee.
Ivan is fluent in Italian, French, German and English.
Mary Celeste Beall, proprietor, Blackberry Farm, Walland, Tennessee
Beall is the proprietor of the acclaimed resort hotels, Blackberry Farm and Blackberry Mountain, in the Great Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee in the United States.
For more than a decade, Beall has lived and worked on the family-owned properties. She first joined her late husband Sam as he led the transformation of Blackberry Farm into a renowned food, wine and wellness destination. As proprietor, Mary Celeste, alongside the Blackberry team, drove the creation and opening of Blackberry Mountain as it evolved into a haven for preservation and personal exploration in relaxation, wellness and adventure.
She led creative direction for launching the brand’s print magazine, Blackberry Magazine. Unique in the resort industry, Blackberry Magazine is a creative-driven editorial project that shares original stories, art, interviews and more inspired by life at Blackberry. She continues to share her vision for the expansion of the Blackberry brand, continuing a longstanding reputation for renowned hospitality and celebrated wine and food.
Over the years, the Blackberry brand has garnered industry praise, including Blackberry Farm’s three James Beard Awards for Best Chef—Southeast, Outstanding Wine Program and Outstanding Service. Blackberry Farm was also named Bon Appetit’s No. 1 Hotel for Food Lovers. Blackberry Mountain is adding to the brand’s awards with recognitions including ELLE Décor Travel A-List – Best New Hotel, Hideaway Report – Hideaway of the Year, and inclusion in Travel + Leisure’s It List for best new hotels in the world.
Prior to moving to Blackberry Farm, Beall earned a degree in business and Masters in Accounting, working as an associate with PricewaterhouseCoopers in San Francisco. She shares her time at Blackberry Farm and Blackberry Mountain with her five children.
Beall and her children are active adventurers, always first in line to try new activities at Blackberry. The daughter of an artist, Beall loves engaging in conversation with creative minds and champions the work of artisans, both through her personal collection and with one-of-a-kind event experiences at Blackberry Farm and Blackberry Mountain. She contributes to each volume of Blackberry Magazine and can be heard hosting episodes of The Blackberry Podcast, interviewing some of the incredible and insightful friends she’s made over the years at Blackberry.
Beall is a devoted advocate for positivity, and constantly aims to inspire the active pursuit of joy with her family’s motto, “Make a great day!” She has been a featured speaker at The Welcome Conference, profiled in Town & Country with the opening of Blackberry Mountain, and honored as one of Southern Living’s 2020 Southern Tastemakers.
Robin Hutson, chairman, CEO, Lime Wood Group and Home Grown Hotels, Clayhill, Lyndhurst, Hampshire, UK
Hutson is known as an innovative and passionate hotelier with 45 years’ experience in some of the world’s most famous hotels. Today, he is chairman and CEO of the Lime Wood Group and founder of another groundbreaking collection of country hotels, The Pig.
Hutson, together with his wife Judy, still to this day project manage, design, commission and source every last piece of furniture and fitting for their hotels. In fact, The Pig has become a true family affair as Ollie, the Hutson’s eldest son, masterminds the Kitchen Gardens, and Will, their youngest, has created some of the artwork for the hotels.
Trained with The Savoy Group, London, starting as an 18-year-old commis waiter at Claridge’s in 1975, then Stones Chop House, The Berkeley and Hotel de Crillon, Paris. Ultimately, he became front office manager at The Berkeley, London. Next came two years as operations manager at Elbow Beach Hotel in Bermuda. Tempted back to the UK in 1986 with the offer of his first GM’s role at age 29 at Chewton Glen Hotel, he served an eight-year stint, eventually becoming managing director.
In 1994, Hutson co-founded the influential Hotel du Vin with the late Gerard Basset. Hotel du Vin is recognized as having been at the vanguard of the UK boutique hotel scene. During this period, he was the recipient of numerous industry awards and accolades. Eventually, he built Hotel du Vin to a group of seven hotels, which he sold in 2004.
Between 1995 and 2008, Hutson was additionally a director and eventually chairman of Soho House Group, assisting Nick Jones shape the ambitious expansion into Europe and the U.S. During this period, he was also a non-executive director of Hotel Crillon le Brave in Provence, France.
In 2020, Hutson earned the Catey for Lifetime Achievement with acknowledgement for his support and governmental lobbying for the sector during the pandemic. Hutson says he is most proud of assisting the development of the next generation of passionate hotel professionals.
He is on the Board of Governors for the Royal Academy of Culinary Arts and is a very active founder committee member for Action Against Hunger.
Hutson’s interests include food, wine, travel, fly fishing, adventure motorbiking and being grandpa to Stephanie and Dougie.
Pierre Jochem, general manager and senior vice president operations, La Mamounia Hotel, Marrakech, Morocco
Jochem joined the La Mamounia team as general manager in September of 2013 and recently led the legendary Marrakech property through a major renovation. It culminated in 2020, preserving the charm, heritage, and signature architecture of the 97-year-old building, while creating expanded facilities and experiences for the modern traveler.
With his vast international experience, Jochem has greatly influenced many beautiful establishments throughout his career, spanning a variety of prestigious hotel groups. For over 20 years, Jochem managed brands such as Hyatt, Peninsula, Oberoi, Four Seasons and Raffles with the same foundational goal: Excellence.
He was most recently general manager and regional vice president of operations, Asia Pacific, for Raffles Hotels & Resorts, Singapore, from November 2008 to May 2013. He was credited with improving the work culture and increasing guest satisfaction and employee engagement scores, as well as top line revenue and profitability. He also worked for Raffles in Cambodia, in China, as well as the Seychelles.
Among other career highlights was a stint as vice president and general manager of The Imperial Hotel in New Delhi from January 2003 to July 2008; hotel manager at The Pierre, a Four Seasons hotel in New York City, from August 2000 through January 2002; general manager of The Oberoi in New Delhi from July 1998 through July 2000; as well as hotel manager at the Peninsula Group’s Palace Hotel in Beijing from November 1994 through June 1998.
Throughout his career, Jochem has been the kind of leader whose personal and professional values are closely linked. Prioritizing consistency, he has always inspired his teams to come together and strive for excellence.
Under his leadership, La Mamounia has received many accolades such as the Condé Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Award for “Best Hotel in the World” in 2015 and the Condé Nast Traveler Award for the “Best Urban Hotel in the World” in 2018.
“First there was a dream, a dream of timelessness, a desire to enshrine La Mamounia in its time but out of time,” Jochem said of the renovation. “This house has always seduced by its aura, its nobility and its elegance. It is a renovation that I imagined in every detail, and Patrik Jouin and Sanjit Manku [architect and designer] brought to life… A renovation that will make the atmospheres dance and the energies shine… It took three months and 300 craftsmen to rethink these places, the theatre of new, custom-designed experiences. A renovation, which I prefer to call innovation, in all of its wonder and magic! Focusing on touching the soul of this place we all cherish.”
La Mamounia obtained the Green Key label, the first international eco-label for tourism facilities that promote sustainable tourism. In keeping with its perpetual quest for excellence, La Mamounia is committed to actively promoting sustainable tourism by respecting nature and its many benefits. An investment of up to 4 million dirhams has been allocated so far, which includes the installation of solar thermal panels and upgrading to LED lamps. Because of these initial changes, La Mamounia has successfully reduced its carbon footprint by nearly 175 tons per year.