SBE has named a chief culture officer, a senior vice president of corporate finance, and a vice president and general manager of the company’s Hudson hotel in New York City. Meanwhile, a chief operating officer stepped on board at Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas. Read on for more executive appointments and promotions as April (and spring) kicks off.
Karan Berry is now general manager of Mandarin Oriental, Taipei in Taipei, Taiwan. Berry previously was general manager at The Ritz-Carlton Pacific Place, Jakarta in Jakarta, Indonesia.
Saxon Hotel, Villas and Spa in Johannesburg, South Africa, appointed Anton Gillis executive director. Following a career in hospitality, Gillis joined Netcare Hospital Group in 2012 as a hospital general manager before being promoted to lead the team at the company’s flagship hospital, the Netcare Milpark Hospital in Johannesburg.
Rocco Forte Hotels appointed Franco Girasoli general manager of Masseria Torre Maizza, opening this May in Puglia, Italy. Prior to this role, Girasoli was with Belmond Group where he most recently led the team at the Belmond Hotel Caruso in Ravello, Italy.
Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort & Spa in Cedar Creek, Texas, named Brooke Grant marketing manager. Grant joined the property from Grand Hyatt Baha Mar in Nassau, Bahamas, where she was site specialist.
IntercityHotel named Stefan Henseling general manager of IntercityHotel Ulm in Ulm, Germany. Henseling was deputy director of IntercityHotel Mainz in Mainz, Germany. The company also announced Olaf Kaul as general manager of IntercityHotel Darmstadt in Darmstadt, Germany. He had been general manager of the Best Western Plus Plaza Hotel Darmstadt.
Guy Heywood is now chief operating officer with Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas. He joined Six Senses from his previous role as chief operating officer for Alila Hotels and Resorts.
Alan Lambert joined DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Tucson – Reid Park in Tucson, Arizona, as executive chef. He formerly served as executive chef of MountainView Bistro at SaddleBrooke Two, also in Tucson.
Concord Hospitality Enterprises promoted Ryan Maher to vice president of business development, as well as vice president of business development for Common Oaks Lodging, a subsidiary of Concord Hospitality. Since joining Concord in 2012, Maher has focused on new development of select-service and full-service hotels.
The SLS Hotel, a Luxury Collection Hotel in Beverly Hills, California, appointed Jake Megrikian director of sales and marketing. Megrikian previously was director of sales and marketing for the InterContinental Los Angeles Century City at Beverly Hills.
SBE named Robert Mellwig chief culture officer and Stephanie Rubin senior vice president of corporate finance, both based out of the firm’s New York City global headquarters. Mellwig most recently was senior vice president of Really Cool People (human resources) over the past 15 years with Two Roads Hospitality and its parent real estate company, Lowe. Rubin joins the company from Re:Sources, a Publicis Groupe company, where she was chief accounting officer.
Geoffrey Allan Mills is now vice president and general manager of SBE’s Hudson hotel in New York City. He previously was president of GAM Hospitality Management, a management and advisory service company based in New York City.
Wave Hospitality named Julian Payne general manager of the soon-to-open Wave Resort at Pier Village in Long Branch, New Jersey. Payne previously held management roles at The Ritz London in London, England, as well as at Mandarin Oriental properties in both London and Hong Kong.
Sereno Hotels appointed Riccardo Ravaglia food and beverage director of Le Sereno St. Barths on the island of Saint Barthélemy. Ravaglia comes to the property from New York City, where he held management positions in restaurants including Harry Cipriani’s, Sant Ambroeus and the Greenwich Hotel in Tribeca.
Oliver Scha¨fer is now general manager at Steigenberger Hotel Munich in Munich, Germany. He formerly was general manager of Sheraton Munich Westpark & Four Points by Sheraton Munich Central, also in Munich.
Carillon Miami Wellness Resort in Miami appointed James Stern, MD, FACS, medical director. Dr. Stern will introduce a cosmetic plastic surgery division in the wellness resort’s spa. He currently heads the Department of Plastic Surgery at Memorial Regional Hospital in Hollywood, Florida.
Nopsi Hotel, New Orleans, appointed Neal Swidler executive chef. A longtime New Orleans chef, Swidler most recently was executive chef at Broussard’s Restaurant.
Banyan Tree Phuket in Phuket, Thailand, named Shiga Takahiro chef of Taihei. Takahiro has spent more than 20 years mastering Japanese cuisine in Japan, China and Malaysia.
The Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua in Kapalua, Hawaii, appointed Isabelle Toland chef of the resort’s newly renovated Banyan Tree Restaurant. She joined from Travaasa Hana, also on Maui, where she directed the resort’s food and beverage efforts as executive chef.
Sonesta Resort Hilton Head Island in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, added Lindsay Wooten to its sales and catering team as conference services manager. Wooten had been catering sales manager at The Ridge Hotel in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin.