AIMBRIDGE’S NEW FULL SERVICE DIVISION PRESIDENT
Aimbridge Hospitality has announced Christopher Tatum as the new divisional president of its Full Service division. Tatum will be a company executive leadership team member and report directly to Craig S. Smith, chief executive officer.
Tatum will oversee the entire Aimbridge Full Service division portfolio, which includes Full Service, Evolution Lifestyle, Luxury and Resort in the U.S., Canada and the Caribbean.
“Chris is a proven operational leader who has committed his career to refining and elevating guest experiences across the U.S. and worldwide,” Smith said. “As we strengthen our portfolio with an emphasis on performance and growth, Chris brings the right mix of expertise and passion to drive results within our Full Service division, forge relationships with owners and instill his service-driven mindset into our general managers and property teams.”
Tatum’s industry experience spans four decades, most of which was spent at Marriott International. During that time, he gained luxury experience in Hawaii, Boston, Australia, Malaysia, Japan, Korea, and Singapore, among others. After 37 years with Marriott, Tatum served as the president & chief executive officer of the Hawaii Tourism Authority. Most recently, he managed a portfolio of hotels at Davidson Hospitality.
MARRIOTT’S LATEST CALA APPOINTMENTS
Marriott International has announced Federico Greppi as chief operations officer for Caribbean and Latin America (CALA) and Sam Basu as the new area general manager of Puerto Rico, and concurrently to general manager of the Ritz-Carlton, San Juan.
Greppi’s most recent position was chief financial officer and head of franchise operations and owner relations of Marriott International in the Caribbean and Latin America. “Federico is a dedicated professional with strategic planning skills and a keen focus on the day-to-day operations,” said Brian King, president of Marriott International CALA. “His ability to translate Marriott International’s global vision into effective local actions has been invaluable to our business, earning him recognition from the team, owners and operators.”
With a career in hospitality spanning over two decades, Greppi joined the industry in 2003 and has held various positions at Marriott’s Headquarters, the Americas and CALA divisions. Before Marriott, he was a consultant at Andersen, a consulting and financial services company.
Additionally, Sam Basu brings over two decades of experience in luxury hospitality spanning the United States, Central America and Puerto Rico. Basu will oversee the breadth of Marriott’s portfolio on the island, liaise with franchise partners, foster relationships with local officials and lead the re-opening of The Ritz-Carlton, San Juan.
“Sam has a proven track record of leadership, growing revenue and profits, achieving industry-leading satisfaction scores, owner relations and fostering best-in-class employee engagement,” said Hugo Desenzani, managing director, Luxury Hotels at Marriott International, Caribbean & Latin America. “We’re confident his leadership in these areas is a tremendous asset for this important market and hotel, ensuring we continue to excel and grow in the competitive luxury market.”
No stranger to Puerto Rico, Basu held managerial positions at The Ritz-Carlton, San Juan for 10 years, including the role of executive assistant manager of rooms and F&B. He also worked in leadership positions at Sheraton Puerto Rico Resort & Casino and The St. Regis Bahia Beach Resort, both on the island. Most recently he served as the opening general manager of the JW Marriott Orlando Bonnet Creek Resort and Spa in Florida.
MORE MOVES
R Collection Hotels has welcomed Claudio Coriasco as general manager of the Montana Lodge & Spa and Grand Hotel Courmayeur Mont Blanc. Returning to Italy in 2013 after a tenure in the Israeli tourism market, Coriasco took on the role of general manager at the Grand Hotel Royal e Golf in Courmayeur. His journey continued with the opening of the CampZero Luxury Resort in 2016. Since 2020, he has been managing the Montana Lodge & Spa in La Thuile before joining R Collection Hotels.
Coriasco has held various positions such as marketing manager at Eurotravel Tour Operator, and has served on the board of directors for Air Vallée, Aosta Airport and Helops Elicotteri.
Dreamscape Hospitality has appointed Christina Pedersen as vice president of sales and marketing. Pedersen brings over 25 years of experience in the hospitality industry, spanning leadership roles in operations, sales, marketing, commercial strategy and asset management.
Most recently, Pedersen served as vice president of asset management at NewcrestImage. Prior to NewcrestImage, she spent six years with Aimbridge Hospitality in several leadership positions, including vice president of commercial strategy.
Pendry Hotels & Resorts has appointed Derek Lescrinier as the general manager of Pendry Natirar. Lescrinier brings a wealth of experience in luxury hospitality to the resort, set to open in fall 2024.
Lescrinier joins Pendry Natirar from Montage International, where he served as corporate director of rooms, overseeing 15 properties across both the Montage and Pendry brands.
Prior to Montage International, Lescrinier spent over a decade at Fontainebleau Miami Beach Resort in various roles, including vice president of rooms. His career also includes roles at The Ritz-Carlton properties in Lake Tahoe and Lake Las Vegas.