With significant growth planned over the next few years, Sbe expanded its executive team by placing five industry veterans in leadership roles: Brad Hayden is vice president, hotel finance; Javier Hortal is senior vice president, design and development, Middle East and Europe; Mark Eacott is vice president lifestyle design Accor and Sbe Asia Pacific; Wayne Brown is culinary director Accor and Sbe Asia Pacific; and Hector Kremer is feasibility manager, Middle East and Europe. Since partnering with Accor in October 2018, Sbe has signed 26 hotels and 45 restaurant deals, and has scheduled 12 hotels and residences opening by 2020.
Hayden’s experience includes more than 30 years of hospitality finance leadership, including 10 years plus with The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, while Hortal joined after an 11-year career at Mandarin Oriental, where he was director of technical services in EMEA. Eacott recently headed a specialist global division of HBA, responsible for creating and developing several new hospitality lifestyle brands across Asia. Native Australian Brown had been head of culinary operations for Singapore-based Gypsy Chef Inc. by David Myers. Kremer spent two years on the hotel valuation and advisory team of CBRE Hotels in London and Paris.
Palmer House, a Hilton Hotel in Chicago, named Christian Brassfield executive chef. Brassfield joined Hilton Hotels & Resorts in 2015 as the executive pastry chef at Grand Wailea Maui, A Waldorf Astoria Resort in Wailea, Hawaii. He went on to lead the culinary team at The Ritz-Carlton, Lake Tahoe in Truckee, California, as executive sous chef and executive chef.
Outrigger Hospitality Group named Julie Burbine senior director, human resources, and Ryan Sanada assistant general counsel. Burbine previously was HRIS product and solutions manager at ProService Hawaii, while Sanada was director of legal and government affairs, as well as assistant general counsel, at the Hawaii Employers Counsel.
Leah Chisholm is music director, North America, part of W Hotels Worldwide’s Global Music Collective. Chisholm, who performs as LP Giobbi, is a producer, DJ, piano player and music director based in Los Angeles.
The Westin Kierland Resort & Spa in Scottsdale, Arizona, appointed Derek Ellis general manager. Ellis most recently was resort manager for JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge Resort & Spa in Phoenix.
SLS Baha Mar in Nassau, Bahamas, named Axel Gasser vice president and general manager. He will oversee hotel operations while managing the property’s senior leadership teams.
Chesapeake Hospitality named Chris Green president and chief executive officer, a promotion from his prior role as chief commercial officer. Kim Sims, the company’s previous president, is now chairman of the board.
Aimbridge Hospitality promoted Matt Greene to executive vice president of operations, lifestyle hotels. Greene had been senior vice president of operations, lifestyle for Evolution Hospitality, and is in his 11th year with the firm.
Michele Grosso is managing director of The Langham, Boston, which is undergoing a renovation and repositioning scheduled to be completed next summer. Grosso spent most of his career with Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts, working most recently at the property in Chicago.
East West Hospitality announced Mary Gunderson as director of club and spa at the Vail Athletic Club & Spa at the Vail Mountain Lodge in Vail, Colorado. Gunderson recently was spa director at the Four Seasons Vail.
Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas named Zeynep Incekara general manager for the soon-to-open Six Senses Kocatas Mansions in Istanbul, Turkey. She joined from her previous role as pre-opening general manager of Jumeirah Bali in Bali, Indonesia. Six Senses also appointed Andrew Whiffen general manager of Six Senses Ninh Van Bay in Nha Trang, Vietnam. He recently was resort manager and general manager of Soneva Kiri Thailand in Ko Kut, Thailand, and Soneva Jani Maldives. Dominic Scoles joined Six Senses Con Dao in Con Dao, Vietnam, as general manager. He previously held the role of director of food and beverage at luxury properties throughout the United States, Mexico, Turks & Caicos and Maldives, with brands such as Como, St. Regis and W Hotels.
Viceroy Los Cabos in San Jose Del Cabo, Mexico, appointed Vanessa Infante director of spa. Infante most recently was director of spa for Azulik Hotel and Maya Spa in Tulum, Quintana Roo, Mexico.
Hilton named David Kelly senior vice president, operations, Continental Europe. Joining Hilton’s EMEA region from his current position overseeing Greater China and Mongolia, Kelly will supervise operations of 57 hotels across 26 European countries. Kelly assumed this role following the transfer of Jochem-Jan Sleiffer to become Hilton’s area president of Middle East, Africa and Turkey. Sleiffer’s new position follows his three-decade career at Hilton.
Jason Kruse is general manager of Amilla Fushi in Maldives. Kruse recently spent six years at the helm of Universal Resorts’ Kurumba Maldives resort.
Daniel Larson is director of rooms for Fairmont Washington, D.C., Georgetown. Larson joined the property in 2018 as director, front office.
Hotel Emma in San Antonio, Texas, named Stephane Leopoldo executive pastry chef. Leopoldo most recently was sous pastry chef at La Cantera Resort & Spa, also in San Antonio.
Westin Carlsbad Resort & Spa in Carlsbad, California, appointed Michael Levine chef de cuisine of 20Twenty. Levine, who focuses on sustainable cooking and has a background in culinary leadership and team building, most recently led the team at Union Kitchen and Tap in Encinitas, California.
Carté Hotel, a Curio Collection by Hilton property in San Diego, appointed Michelle Lhota catering sales manager and David Presslauer group sales manager. Prior to this appointment, Lhota was executive meeting manager at The Gwen in Chicago. Presslauer held sales positions at Wrike and SurveyMonkey, where he helped lead B2B sales strategy for the SaaS platforms.
Radisson Hotel Group appointed Rebecca Lieberman chief human resources officer. She previously was vice president, human resources for the Americas.
Apple Leisure Group appointed Jacqueline Marks, Steve Dumaine and Ray Snisky to its executive leadership team, each overseeing a key area of the company’s Vacations business. Marks joined following Apple Leisure Group’s merger with The Mark Travel Corporation in 2018, previously serving as executive vice president of trade sales and engagement for Apple Leisure Group. She currently is executive vice president responsible for the company’s travel agent business. Dumaine is the former president and chief executive officer of CheapCaribbean.com and current executive vice president of Apple Leisure Group’s B2C-focused Vacations brands. Snisky, chief commercial officer of Apple Leisure Group Vacations, will continue to serve in this role with expanded oversight.
Romain Meiran is general manager of La Réserve Paris Hotel and Spa in Paris, France. Before joining the property, Meiran was general manager of Cheval Blanc Courchevel in Courchevel, France, for five years, and most recently general manager of Cheval Blanc Paris, overseeing operations and preparation for its 2020 opening.
Banyan Tree Cabo Marques in Acapulco, Mexico, appointed Manuel Morales executive chef, responsible for leading the food and beverage team and for overseeing the resort’s five restaurants. Morales joined from sister property, Banyan Tree Mayakoba, Playa Del Carmen, Mexico, where he was executive sous chef.
The Ritz-Carlton, Lake Tahoe, in North Lake Tahoe, California, appointed André Priemer general manager. Prior to joining the property, Priemer was area managing director for Resort at Squaw Creek, also located in the Lake Tahoe area of Northern California.
The Read House in Chattanooga, Tennessee, appointed Andrea Richey director of sales. Richey most recently was area director of sales and marketing at The Westin Stonebriar Hotel & Golf Club in Frisco, Texas.
Matthew Ross is director of food and beverage at Kimpton The Rowan Palm Springs in Palm Springs, California. Ross came to the property from Los Angeles, where he was director of food and beverage operations for the Farmer’s Daughter Hotel and its restaurant, Tart.
Lore Group appointed Dieter Schmitz area general manager for the Riggs Washington, D.C., Hotel, opening early next year in Washington, D.C.’s Penn Quarter. Schmitz joined Lore Group with more than 15 years of hospitality experience across the United States. He led six opening teams, including three new-build flagship hotels in Manhattan, where he served as area general manager for InterContinental Hotels Group.
Aimbridge Hospitality promoted Rob Smith to executive vice president of operations, full-service and resorts. Smith has been with the company for seven years, formerly serving as senior vice president of operations.
Katie Soltas is marketing communications manager at Hyatt Regency Hill Country Resort and Spa in San Antonio, Texas. Soltas recently was an account supervisor with DVL Seiganthaler, A Finn Partners Company.
Kempinski Hotels named Riko van Santen chief information officer and member of the management board, Wilhelm Weber vice president global revenue and digital strategy, Janin Blaser vice president brand development, Michael Sorgenfrey vice president operations Middle East and Africa, and Isidoro Geretto vice president finance Middle East and Africa. Since 2012, van Santen has been vice president digital strategy and distribution at Kempinski Hotels. Weber was managing partner at SHS Swiss Hospitality Solutions AG while Blaser joined from Wiethe Group in Osnabrück, Germany, where she was head of business strategy and director content factory. Sorgenfrey was managing director of RIMC Deutschland Hotels & Resorts, and Geretto was financial consultant with Barcli Hospitality Management in Pfäffikon, Switzerland.
Como Hotels and Resorts appointed Jocelyn Whiteside cluster director of sales and marketing for Thailand and Bhutan. She previously was director of sales and marketing in Thailand for InterContinental Hotels Group.