A leadership transition is underway at Steigenberger Hotels in Germany. After 17 years, Ralf Corsten is stepping down as chairman of the supervisory board following the company’s change of ownership in January 2020, a process in which he was heavily involved. André Witschi, who served as chief executive officer of Steigenberger Hotels from 2008-10, is stepping into the chairman role.
Since 2011, Witschi has been chairman of the board of trustees of the Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne in Lausanne, Switzerland. He is also a member of other foundations and boards, including the supervisory boards of Romantik Hotels and Sausalitos. Witschi was CEO of Accor Germany before serving as CEO of Steigenberger Hotels. He departed Steigenberger after the company’s sale and went on to hold various board memberships, among them vice chairman of the supervisory board of Lindner Hotels in Düsseldorf, Germany, member of the board of directors of Scandic Hotels in Stockholm, and member of the board of directors of Build S.A. (B&B Hotels), in Paris.
Menin Hospitality appointed Steven Hiblum general manager of Shelborne South Beach in Miami Beach, Florida. Hiblum, who studied hospitality management at Ben-Gurion University in Beersheba, Israel, has held positions at properties within Morgans Hotel Group, including Delano South Beach, Shore Club South Beach, Clift Hotel in San Francisco, and Mondrian South Beach. Hiblum also served for five years as general manager of Nautilus – A Sixty Hotel in Miami Beach. Most recently, he was vice president of operations at Highgate Hotels, where he was responsible for managing hotel experiences and programming for three Miami properties.
Herbert Laubichler-Pichler is general manager in charge of opening Alma, a beachfront resort in Cam Ranh, Vietnam. Austria-born Laubichler-Pichler’s work in Vietnam goes back almost 14 years and includes management roles in acclaimed properties such as Anam in Cam Ranh, Ho Chi Minh City’s Reverie Saigon and Nam Hai in Danang. His experience in Asia also includes overseeing the opening of Raffles Hainan in Hainan, China, working for Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts in Mainland China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines, and managing General Hotel Management properties in Malaysia.
Absolute Hotel Services appointed Denis Martin general manager of Eastin Hotel & Residences Hanoi in Hanoi, Vietnam. Martin, a French national, has more than 30 years in the hospitality industry, including at Le Méridien Phuket Beach Resort in Phuket, Thailand, and at Bangkok Marriott Riverside and The Landmark Hotel Bangkok. Prior to joining Absolute Hotel Services, Martin was general manager of the Crowne Plaza Phuket Panwa Beach in Phuket, where he led the opening team. His previous appointments also include group general manager of the Chaweng Regent & Melati Resort in Koh Samui, Thailand.
Pan Pacific London in Londonappointed Lorraine Sinclair executive chef. She returns to her home country following four years as director of culinary operations at Sheraton Saigon Hotel & Towers in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Sinclair has held eight executive chef positions throughout her 30 years of experience spanning Europe, Asia and the Middle East. While in Hong Kong, two restaurants under Sinclair’s direction received Michelin stars. She was nominated as a Les Toques Blanches board member and has published a charity cookbook.
Jürgen Stütz is senior vice president, sales, marketing and distribution, at Blue Diamond Resorts. Stütz joins Blue Diamond with more than 29 years in the luxury hospitality industry. He began his career as director of sales and marketing at Hotel Melia Bavaro and Hotel Paradisus Punta Cana, both in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. Since then, he’s held numerous executive sales and marketing positions at hospitality companies including Sol Melia, Linder Hotels & Resorts, LTI-International Hotels and Melia Hotels International. Most recently, Stütz was chief commercial officer at Decameron Hotels & Resorts, where he oversaw a team of 730 members across 34 hotels and resorts in nine countries, generating more than US$480 million in annual revenue.
Provenance Hotels announced that its president, Bashar Wali, will depart the company, effective May 29. Upon his departure, Katherine Durant, current chairman and chief executive officer, will become president, and Gordon Sondland, founder, will become chairman. Wali will remain involved with Provenance both as a senior advisor to the company and as a shareholder. Provenance also welcomed Ernest Glidden as chief financial officer. Glidden previously served as a senior vice president, operations finance, for Caesars Entertainment Corp., and as a regional vice president, finance, for Starwood Hotels & Resorts. Ralph Aruzza, former executive vice president and chief sales and marketing officer at Belmond, and vice president for sales and marketing at Rosewood Hotels, also joined the company as chief marketing officer. Provenance promoted Klaudio Simic, who has been with the company since 2000, to senior vice president of operations.