Neal Jones is Marriott International’s chief sales and marketing officer for Europe, Middle East and Africa. Jones began his career at Marriott International in London more than 20 years ago and most recently served as chief sales and marketing officer for Middle East and Africa, based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Over the past seven years, Jones provided strategic leadership to the brand management, marketing, digital, sales and revenue management, loyalty, communications and consumer insight functions. Prior to this, Jones served in various sales and marketing leadership roles worldwide, including as vice president of global sales for Europe. Jones, currently based in Marriott’s Dubai regional office, will relocate to London headquarters this year.
Audra Arul is cluster director of sales and marketing for Crossroads Maldives, responsible for its two recently opened hotels, Saii Lagoon Maldives, a Curio Collection by Hilton property, and Hard Rock Hotel Maldives. Arul most recently was with Banyan Tree Hotels and Resorts.
Stefan Athmann is general manager of Hotel Bristol Berlin in Berlin, Germany. Athmann will also continue as general manager of sister property Schlosshotel Berlin by Patrick Hellmann in Berlin.
AIC Hotel Group appointed Danielle Becker regional director of business development, a promotion from her prior role as business development manager.
Chesapeake Hospitality named Cassie Bond vice president of revenue strategy. Bond joined the company in December 2008 as revenue manager and stepped into several leadership positions before this appointment.
Viceroy Los Cabos in San Jose del Cabo, Mexico, named Peter Bowling regional managing director. Bowling joined the resort from Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills in Beverly Hills, California, where he was managing director.
Quirk Hotel Charlottesville, nearing completion in Charlottesville, Virginia, named Matthew Brink general manager and Whitney Dang area director of sales and marketing. Brink was hotel manager at The Confidante Hotel in Miami Beach, Florida. Dang was assistant director of sales and marketing at the Thompson Chicago.
The Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, named Jim Curtis director of sales and marketing for the complex. He recently was area director of sales for Omni Hotels & Resorts, where he led sales and marketing efforts for the Omni Orlando Resort at ChampionsGate in ChampionsGate, Florida, while supporting five additional properties across the United States.
Kempinski Hotels appointed Ron Cusiter vice president global sales and the Americas, responsible for leading and managing the global sales offices in Europe, America, Asia and India. Cusiter, a native of Scotland, has worked on Kempinski projects around the globe.
Jeanne Delgado is director of sales and marketing at Rosewood Sand Hill in Menlo Park, California. She recently was area director of sales for Rosewood Washington, D.C., and The Carlyle, a Rosewood Hotel in New York City.
Four Seasons Hotel Lanai at Koele, A Sensei Retreat in Lanai City, Hawaii, named David Emig hotel manager. Emig had been resort manager at sister property Four Seasons Resort Lanai. Bradley Russell assumed the role of resort manager at Four Seasons Resort Lanai, a promotion from his previous position as the property’s director of rooms.
Isaac Esparza is F&B manager and executive chef of Casa Velas in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Recently, Esparza was executive sous chef of sister property Grand Velas Riviera Nayarit in Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico.
Bryan Gabriel joined Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas as chief commercial officer, a role in which he will oversee the group’s sales and marketing department, supporting the brand’s expansion. Gabriel most recently was with InterContinental Hotels Group, where he was head of commercial for America, based in Atlanta. Six Senses also announced Yee Pin Tan as head of design. She spent the past three years in Singapore as design director of Jaya.
Coury Hospitality appointed Jamie Hopwood general manager and Zach Tharp director of sales for the soon-to-open Hotel Carmichael, a Marriott Autograph Collection property in Carmel, Indiana. Hopwood previously was general manager of boutique hotels in Beaver Creek, Colorado, for RockResorts and Vail Resorts Lodging. Tharp previously was opening director of sales and marketing for the Hyatt Place and Hyatt House Downtown Indianapolis.
AHC Hospitality promoted Josef Huber and Darin Jemison to regional vice president of food and beverage, and regional director of food and beverage, respectively. Huber has been corporate executive chef at AHC Hospitality for more than two decades. Jemison celebrated 30 years with the company this year, and recently was director of food and beverage projects and procurement.
Absolute Hotel Services appointed Sathit Mansuwan director of quality assurance. His former roles include working as a general manager for brands within the Minor Hotels Group.
Sheraton New York Times Square in New York City named Jim Mooney director of hotel sales. Mooney departed Interstate Hotels & Resorts, where he was vice president of sales.
AC Hotel Fort Worth, opening this fall in Fort Worth, Texas, named Aaron Oquendo general manager and Jillian Lehmann director of sales and marketing. Oquendo recently oversaw three Marriott brand hotels and a full-service conference center within Cascades at The Colony in Plano, Texas. Lehmann was associate director of sales for Hyatt Regency North Dallas in Richardson, Texas.
Singita welcomed Sharon Pan as sales manager for mainland China. She had been regional sales manager at Aman Resorts, responsible for sales in Northern China.
Riverhouse on the Deschutes in Bend, Oregon, named Michael Poe restaurant manager of Currents at the Riverhouse. Poe has more than 40 years of food and beverage experience, including serving as an F&B director at a fine dining establishment in Utah, and managing hotels and eateries in California and Oregon. Everett Warmack also joined the property as marketing manager. Warmack has a decade of brand and marketing experience, including work in the nonprofit sector for faith-based and mentoring organizations.
The Harbor Club in Rodney Bay, Saint Lucia, appointed Cristian Rebolledo director of food and beverage, and executive chef for the hotel’s four restaurants. Prior to joining the property, Rebolledo worked at the Turks & Caicos Collection, where he was in charge of food and beverage operations for three luxury properties.
BPR Hotels, a family-run Bay Area hospitality business, named a new executive team. Geoff Sarabia-Mason is vice president of operations after serving as corporate director of marketing, sales and revenue management. Liza Guito is corporate director of human resources. Prior to joining BPR Hotels, she was regional human relations manager for Denny’s. John Searby is senior director of finance. He recently was the chief financial officer of Pandey Hotel Corporation. Parnia Motalebi is the corporate controller and has 12 years of finance experience in the hospitality industry.
JW Marriott Nashville in Nashville, Tennessee, promoted Steve Scheler from butcher to chef de cuisine at its Stompin’ Grounds Restaurant.
Sandpiper Hospitality promoted several executives and added a regional manager: Mark Schwenker is vice president of operations; Candace Reynolds is vice president of human resources; Victor Cruz is vice president of revenue management; Beth Grove is regional manager; Evan Verbeek is regional revenue manager; and Kenneth Almy joined the company as regional manager based in Texas.
Michael Sorgenfrey is managing director at Hotel Adlon Kempinski in Berlin, Germany. He had been vice president operations, Middle East and Africa, for Kempinski. He is stepping into the role after former managing director, Matthias Al-Amiry, took the role of managing director of Capitol Kempinski Singapore.
W San Francisco named Lauren Spalding the property’s first W Music curator. Spalding, who will lead the hotel’s music programs, founded her own artists management consulting brand, The Spalding Company. She also co-founded educational nonprofit Femme House.
Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort & Spa named Keith Spinden general manager. He joined the property from Grand Hyatt DFW in Dallas.
OLS Hotels & Resorts hired Brandon Standerfer as corporate director of distribution. Standerfer recently was senior director of distribution strategy and channel management at RLH Corp.
Avani Deira Dubai Hotel in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, named Sahil Thakur director of sales. Before this appointment, Thakur was pre-opening director of sales and marketing at Studio M in Dubai.
Torsten van Dullemen is general manager of Mandarin Oriental, Washington, D.C., as well as area vice president of operations for the Northeast United States, overseeing Mandarin Oriental, Boston, and Mandarin Oriental, New York. He recently was general manager at The Excelsior, Hong Kong, and area vice president for South China.
Scheduled to open this fall in San Antonio, the Marriott San Antonio Airport Hotel named Mark Vilagi general manager. Vilagi has nearly 30 years of hospitality experience in the San Antonio market and has led multiple hotel renovations.
The Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables, Florida, named Enrique Villardefrancos director of culinary operations. Prior to joining The Biltmore Hotel, Villardefrancos was corporate executive chef for U.S. and the Caribbean for MSC Cruises.
New Castle Hotels & Resorts named John Wilson vice president hotel performance, responsible for the operational performance of the company’s seven Canadian hotels and resorts, as well as centralize accounting and special projects. Wilson previously was general manager of the Westin Nova Scotian in Halifax, Canada, and served as regional controller.
Apple Leisure Group announced leadership changes. Scott Wiseman, president of Travel Impressions, is now senior vice president and general manager of brand management for Apple Leisure Group Vacations (ALGV). John Tarkowski, who has been president since January 2019, will now serve as senior vice president of brand strategy for ALGV. Former president of Funjet Vacations and Blue Sky Tours Ron Jacobs will now serve as interim chief financial officer of Apple Leisure Group. Wendy Hoekwater, ALGV senior vice president of marketing, will now focus exclusively on agency marketing and continue to serve as the head of ensuring differentiation of the ALGV brands. Jim Tedesco, senior vice president of sales for ALGV, will now oversee the group’s sales for the whole United States. Mike Ehlers, who was a senior manager with The Mark Travel Corporation and former director of groups with Funjet Vacations, is returning to lead ALGV’s sales team.
Ahead of its June opening, The Londoner in London, England, named Simon Wong general manager, Hannah Millar-Case director of sales; Jason Kitt director of meeting and event sales, and Justine Perry recruitment manager. Wong recently supported The May Fair, London, in a leadership capacity. Millar-Case has served as a North American sales representative for Edwardian Hotels London for the past seven years. Kitt has worked for London properties including The Savoy, Jumeirah Carlton Tower and Jumeirah Lowndes Hotel. In addition to launching her own hospitality recruitment business, Perry has worked on large-scale recruitment for major hotel openings and cruise ship launches.
Radisson Hotel Group named Yilmaz Yildirimlar area senior vice president for Central and Southern Europe, and Tom Flanagan Karttunen area senior vice president for Northern Europe. In addition to these roles, Yildirimlar and Flanagan Karttunen are area senior vice presidents for Eastern Europe, Russia and Turkey, and United Kingdom, Ireland and Western Europe, respectively.
Sofitel New York in New York City named Dayna Zeitlin director of sales and marketing. Zeitlin had been director of business development and optimization for Fairmont San Francisco, Sofitel’s sister property.