Accor has appointed Kara Randall as chief development officer, Accor Luxury Brands, North America, reporting directly to Agnès Roquefort, chief development officer, Luxury & Lifestyle, Accor. Accor’s luxury brand portfolio includes global brands such as Raffles, Fairmont, Sofitel Legend, Sofitel, Emblems Collection and MGallery Collection.
Kara will join Accor’s Global Development Committee alongside the group’s Luxury & Lifestyle Development leaders. She will also work closely with Edouard Schwob, SVP of global development, Raffles & Fairmont.
“Kara will be a tremendous asset to Accor in North America, a strategic market for Accor’s luxury brands,” said Roquefort. “Beyond being home to some of our most iconic luxury properties and flagship destinations, North America is also one of the world’s most important feeder markets for luxury travel. Strengthening our development capabilities in the region is essential to accelerating the growth, visibility, and long-term success of our luxury portfolio.”
With over 20 years of experience in hospitality, real estate and mixed-use development, Randall most recently served as VP of Hilton’s luxury, residential and corporate development group for North America, supporting multiple brands, including Waldorf Astoria, Conrad and LXR. Earlier in her career, she held leadership roles in Hilton’s Real Estate Asset Management and Owner Relations group.
Randall is an inaugural member of Castell, a leading program advancing women in hospitality, as well as a board member of the Center for Real Estate and Finance at Cornell School of Hotel Administration. She previously served on the school’s Los Angeles Alumni Advisory Board.
“Accor has built a solid reputation among the competitive North American hospitality market and its development capabilities have established the Group as a major player,” said Randall. “I am honored to join a team that is so forward-thinking and strongly positioned for the future.”
Accor currently has approximately 150 hotels in North America as well as a development pipeline of 45 hotels representing more than 9,000 rooms.