LONDON The Rocco Forte Collection has promoted consultant Karim Naffah to managing director, a move that will allow executive chairman Rocco Forte to spend more time spearheading the company’s expansion.
Naffah, 47, has acted as a consultant to the company for the past year, assisting with its successful refinancing and helping drive improvements to performance management and corporate governance.
Forte seeks to grow the company he founded via management contracts, and he will focus more on collaborating with the sales and marketing team to promote The Rocco Forte Collection brand.
“The growth of our portfolio requires the fortification of our management structures as well as business planning, performance and governance processes to ensure its continued success and outperformance within a highly competitive marketplace,” he says. “Karim’s role will be primarily focused on the continuation of the company’s successful drive to advance performance and to work with me on the future strategic development of the business. In doing so he will lead a team of experienced directors, including finance director Alan Clark, brand managing director Richard Power and operations director Martin Elsner.
“We have selected Karim for his proven ability to establish robust business planning and performance disciplines, in addition to his strategic skills,” Forte says. “As we have got to know Karim over the past 12 months we have been impressed by his leadership qualities and understanding of our culture and approach. His level-headed style has gained the respect of employees and business partners and we are all very pleased that he is joining our company on a permanent basis.”
Prior to joining The Rocco Forte Collection, Naffah worked as strategy director at Bass PLC/Six Continents PLC where he oversaw the demerger of Six Continent’ hotel and pub divisions. Naffah joined Mitchells & Butlers in 2003 as its finance director to establish the pubs group as an independently listed company.
Born in Beirut, Naffah was educated at Harrow School and Lincoln College, Oxford University. He speaks English, French, Arabic and Spanish. Post graduation, Naffah spent seven years with management consultancy Bain & Co.