Wellness brand Sensei welcomed Alexandra Walterspiel as chief operating office, Jacqueline Pucci as head of people operations, Lara Weiss as director of sales and revenue management, and Bere Olmedo as director of Sensei Lana’i Retreat in Lanai City, Hawaii.
“Our industry is strongly supported by women consumers, and these leaders bring their years of experience, professional acumen and cultural perspective that is vital to our expansion and commitment to diversity,” said Kevin Kelly, chief executive officer, Sensei.
Walterspiel has deep experience in the luxury and lifestyle hospitality segments, having previously worked with Ritz-Carlton Hotel Co. and Morgans Hotel Group. She also oversaw management of luxury and independent hotels through Sage Hospitality and her own management company, Imprint Hospitality.
Pucci has decades of experience in human resources and hospitality, including at Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts and Rosewood Hotel Group. She has led human resource and leadership teams for a luxury hotel, a private club in the Caribbean, a top U.S. wine distributor and a new wellness brand through her own consultancy endeavors. Weiss has worked at a variety of West Coast companies and properties including The Beverly Hilton and The Hollywood Roosevelt in the Los Angeles area, Thompson Hotels, Kor Hotel Group and more. She provided marketing and revenue management services for two wellness brands, Civana and Two Bunch Palms, and founded of her own company, Autonomous Hospitality and Hotel Collection.
Olmedo joined the Sensei team in 2017 as hospitality manager and was promoted to director of hospitality in October 2019. Prior to joining Sensei, Olmedo worked with Aman for more than seven years in Cambodia, Japan, Laos and the Dominican Republic.
Marianne Balfe is vice president of sustainability at Highgate, responsible for driving the company’s Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) strategy across the guest experience, construction projects, external report and corporate culture. Prior to Highgate, Balfe was director of energy and environmental sustainability for the Americas at Marriott International where she developed sustainability strategies, established strategic partnerships across all sectors, ensured compliance with environmental regulations, contributed to ESG reporting and delivered annual carbon, water and waste footprint reductions. Before joining Marriott, Balfe founded a sustainability strategy consulting firm after completing an MBA while working in the solar industry.
Viceroy L’Ermitage Beverly Hills in Beverly Hills, California, welcomed Scott Berger as general manager and Daniel Ben-Efraim as executive director of sales and marketing. Berger most recently was hotel manager at The Peninsula Beverly Hills. He trained at The Peninsula Chicago, The Peninsula Hong Kong and The Peninsula Tokyo, Japan. Ben-Efraim joined Viceroy L’Ermitage Beverly Hills from 1 Hotels where he was area director of sales and marketing. He previously led the sales and marketing efforts at Shutters on the Beach and Hotel Casa Del Mar in Santa Monica, California; and the Loews Regency New York and The London NYC in New York City.
Don Brookshire is director of operations at Chatham Bars Inn in Chatham, Massachusetts. Brookshire’s previously worked as director of food and beverage at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California; the Waldorf Astoria, Park City, Utah; and The Omni Nashville Hotel in Nashville, Tennessee. Most recently, he was director of operations at The Plaza, New York City, where he grew the Leading Quality Assurance service scores.
Aaron Coburn is general manager of Clayton Members Club & Hotel, opening soon in Denver. Coburn has held leadership roles at Colorado hotels and resorts for more than 13 years. Prior to his time at Clayton, Coburn was general manager at Denver’s The Art Hotel.
Clayton Members Club & Hotel, opening this April in Denver, named Brandon Duley executive chef and Lukas Pesek director of food and beverage. Duley joined Aparium Hotel Group, Clayton’s operator, in November 2020. He started his career as a sous chef for The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company before joining Gjelina in Los Angeles. He became executive chef of Gjelina Take Away, and most recently was chef de cuisine of Ardor at The West Hollywood Edition Hotel in West Hollywood, California. Pesek joined Aparium in January with 20 years of hospitality experience. Pesek, who grew up in Prague, Czech Republic, arrived in Las Vegas to hold management positions at Wolfgang Puck restaurants Spago and Postrio. After spending a decade with Wolfgang Puck Fine Dining Group, he became director of restaurants at Aria Resort and Casino; director of food and beverage for Aria & Vdara Resort and Casino; and vice president of food and beverage at Excalibur Hotel & Casino.
Opening March 17, 2021, the Alila Marea Beach Resort Encinitas in Encinitas, California, named its executive team. Robert Harter is director of sales and marketing. Harter, who has experience in San Diego’s luxury hotel market, most recently was director of sales and marketing at L’Auberge Del Mar in Del Mar, California. Jaime Klein, director of leisure sales, has led several corporate sales teams for properties including her most recent position as regional entertainment sales director for the Sydell Group. Michael Savastano, director of operations, has held leadership roles at eight properties, including at Grand Hyatt Baha Mar, in Nassau, Bahamas, where he led The Reserve. Emma Spencer is director of spa and wellbeing. Prior to joining Spa Alila, Spencer opened the Majorelle Spa at the Hotel Californian in Santa Barbara, California. In food and beverage, Bill McKinney is director of food and beverage; Chris Simmons is director of outlets; and Alex Gregg is beverage manager. Throughout his 20-year career, McKinney has opened more than 15 restaurants and bars, most recently serving as regional director of operations for Kimpton Restaurants & Bars. Prior to joining the Alila Marea Beach Resort Encinitas team, Simmons developed the Agave Club at the Rancho Valencia Resort & Spa, as well as the Agave Dinner Series at Chef Brian Malarkey’s San Diego restaurants. Gregg is an active member of the beverage community and gives classes and seminars to local bartenders, hosts charity events and donates his time to various events.
Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City, New Jersey, welcomed Nanette Horner as vice president of legal and general counsel. Horner, who is from Atlantic County, has 25 years’ experience as a gaming attorney. Prior to joining Hard Rock Atlantic City, Horner held positions in the gaming industry including executive vice president, chief counsel and chief compliance officer for Empire Resorts. Before her time at Empire, Horner worked as a regulator with the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board where she served as deputy chief counsel assigned to the Bureau of Licensing before being named the board’s first director of the Office of Compulsive and Problem Gambling. For seven years, Horner was an adjunct professor of law at her alma mater, Rutgers University School of Law, Camden, New Jersey.
Gadi Kaufmann joined Cabot’s executive team as senior advisor. Kaufmann specializes in economic consulting for real estate projects and investment portfolios; corporate strategy planning and management consulting; transactional and negotiation services; and financing and capital formation strategies. Kaufmann is an active board and committee member of several industry and academic organizations, including the Urban Land Institute and the UCLA Center for Real Estate in Los Angeles.
Evolution Hospitality, the lifestyle division of Aimbridge Hospitality, appointed Angela Kuzma vice president of lifestyle operations, overseeing a group of complex assets, providing leadership to achieve hotel performance, guest satisfaction, associate engagement and owners’ investment goals. Kuzma most recently was global vice president of restaurant and bars for Marriott International where she drove strategies for more than 30 brands across five continents. She previously served as the executive vice president of operations at Aparium Hotel Group; chief operating officer at 5oz. Factory; director of operations, club and duty manager for Soho House Group; regional director of catering sales and events for China Grill Management at Hotel Gansevoort in New York City, and more.
Sage Hotel Management announced a series of strategic changes within the organization aimed at positioning the company and its properties to capitalize on the upswing as the hospitality industry recovers. The changes include organizing the group’s portfolio of hotels into three verticals and appointing vice presidents for each vertical, as well as expanding the company’s growth and development team. The new appointments include: Jan Lucas, vice president, The Upscale Collection; Chris Lorino, vice president, The Premier Collection (East); Dani Stern, vice president, The Premier Collection (West); and Kim Corrigan, vice president, The Independent Collection. Lucas, an 18-year Sage veteran, has expertise leading upscale, focused service hotels. She started her career at Marriott’s Residence Inn division. Lorino, who joined Sage in 2018, has experience that includes nearly two decades with Starwood and more than three years with Provenance Hotels. Stern has led full-service hotels and resorts, with nearly four years’ experience at Sage and previous experience at Two Roads Hospitality and Destination Hotels & Resorts. Corrigan, a 12-year Sage veteran, has a track record in luxury lifestyle properties, having served as general manager of Sage hotels including several in Denver.
Sandy Minskoff is national sales manager of Lansdowne Resort in Leesburg, Virginia. Minskoff joined the team from National Conference Center, also in Leesburg, where she grew the corporate, federal and state government markets. Her experience includes positions at other Virginia destinations, including Airlie Resort, The Boar’s Head Inn, the Homestead Resort and Belmont Country Club.
Sunstone Hotel Investors appointed Chris Ostapovicz senior vice president and chief operating officer. The company also announced the retirement of Marc Hoffman, executive vice president and chief operating officer. Hoffman joined Sunstone in 2006 and has been responsible for asset management and design and construction. Ostapovicz most recently was senior vice president of asset management at Host Hotels & Resorts, which he joined in 2007. Prior to that, he held operating and finance positions at both The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company and Marriott International. He was board director and treasurer for the Hospitality Asset Managers Association for the past five years, and one of the faculty that started Georgetown University’s Master’s in Global Hospitality Leadership program in 2014.
Minor Hotels appointed Mark O’Sullivan area general manager, Bangkok, Thailand. He joined Anantara in 2017 as general manager of Anantara Mai Khao Phuket Villas in Phuket, Thailand, and arrived in Bangkok in 2018 as general manager of Anantara Riverside. Before joining Anantara, O’Sullivan worked at a wide spectrum of hotels from brands including Starwood and Hyatt to boutique properties including Club Coco, Maldives, and Brooks Hotel in his native Dublin, Ireland.
Alexis Palacios is executive chef and Ibrahim Amaya García is chef de cuisine of Cocina del Mar at Esperanza, Auberge Resorts Collection, Los Cabos, Mexico. As executive chef, Palacios will oversee a revival of culinary programming across the resort. Palacios most recently was part of the opening team as executive chef at a luxury hotel in Mexico City, Mexico. Between 2009 and 2011, Palacios was executive sous chef at Esperanza before tenures in kitchens at other Los Cabos resorts. Amaya García joined Esperanza from a restaurant in Todos Santos, Mexico, where he trained with renowned Chef Javier Plascencia.
Epicurean Hotel in Tampa, Florida, appointed Shawn Routten general manager and Adam Hyatt executive chef. Routten previously worked at the Epicurean for five years before being promoted to general manager of Fenway Hotel in Dunedin, Florida. Routten spent 12 years at Mainsail Lodging & Development, starting as a front desk host at Mainsail Suites Hotel & Conference Center in Tampa before working his way up to front office manager. Hyatt most recently was executive chef at Steelbach in Tampa. Prior to that, he was executive chef of Hew Parlor & Chophouse, Fenway Hotel’s signature restaurant. Hyatt also served as chef partner at Tampa’s Platt Street Borough.
The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) appointed Chirag Shah senior vice president of federal affairs. Shah will lead AHLA’s federal relations team, developing and executing advocacy strategy on Capitol Hill and with the Biden administration. Shah arrived at AHLA from the Asian American Hotel Owners Association where he was vice president of government affairs and counsel. AHLA named Laisha Dismuke vice president of human resources. Prior to her appointment, Dismuke was cultural consultant at Female Quotient and she spent more than a decade with CropLife America as the strategic human resources advisor. Sharon Sykes also joined AHLA as director of state and local government affairs, covering the Mid-Atlantic and Midwest regions. She will help expand AHLA’s state and local grassroots apparatus. Sykes comes to AHLA from the National Federation of Independent Business after managing advocacy campaigns throughout the Mid-Atlantic region.
Centara Hotels & Resorts promoted Jan Weisheit to hotel manager at Centara Grand Beach Resort & Villas Hua Hin, Thailand. Weisheit has been with the property for almost a decade, formerly as resident manager. Prior to that, he was director of food and beverage at Centara Grand Beach Resort & Villas Krabi, Thailand. During the course of his 20-year hospitality career, Weisheit worked with international chains in America, Asia and Europe.
Hyatt welcomed Claudette Zepeda as executive chef of Vaga Restaurant & Bar at Alila Marea Beach Resort Encinitas, opening soon in Encinitas, California; Mashama Bailey as executive chef and partner of Diner Bar and The Grey Market – Austin at Thompson Austin, opening this summer in Austin, Texas; and Whitney Otawka, executive chef of the forthcoming signature restaurant at Thompson Savannah in Savannah, Georgia. Zepeda is a San Diego-based chef who most recently garnered acclaim as executive chef and partner at El Jardín in San Diego. Prior to opening The Grey in her hometown of Savannah, Bailey cooked at various New York restaurants including Prune. She is the chairwoman of the Edna Lewis Foundation, whose mission is to honor the legacy of Edna Lewis by creating opportunities for African Americans in cooking, agriculture, food studies and storytelling. Otawka is author of The Saltwater Table, and previously served as executive chef and culinary director at Greyfield Inn on Cumberland Island, Georgia.