Executive moves: AJ Capital, EVT, PM Hotel Group, Rosewood

Here is a compilation of the most important executive moves of the past week in the hotel investment world alphabetically (by company):

AJ Capital names COO. Nashville-based AJ Capital Partners has appointed Cory Warning as COO. Warning joins AJ Capital with expertise in deal origination, asset management, operations, acquisitions and dispositions, joint ventures, and investor relations. Before joining AJ Capital, Warning co-founded and was president of Geller Capital Partners, a private real estate investment firm specializing in high-end hospitality assets. He also worked at Strategic Hotels & Resorts, a publicly traded REIT.

Chedi Hospitality names COO. Singapore-based Chedi Hospitality has named Karim Bizid as COO. Bizid will oversee global operations and the implementation of brand standards across new and existing properties. He will play a critical role in shaping the group’s operational frameworks, guiding teams, and supporting the seamless opening of upcoming developments in Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and beyond.

Cheval Collection names CCO. London-based Cheval Collection has appointed Nick Pilbeam as chief commercial officer. Pilbeam has more than 20 years of experience in international travel, loyalty, tourism, and hotel sectors, having joined Cheval Collection from Queensway, where he was commercial director of the hotel group. He has also held positions at Avios and British Airways.

Club Med names new APEC exec. Paris-based Club Med has appointed Rachael Harding as CEO of its newly integrated ESAP (Southeast Asia, Japan, Australia, and the Pacific Islands) Division as it redefines its Asia Pacific strategy. Club Med’s new regional model merges three former business units into two verticals: ESAP and China.

Colliers adds 2 execs. Colliers has hired Scott Hutchinson as executive vice president and Hana Friedman as senior analyst. They come from CBRE and will be based in Boston and New York, respectively. The pair brings a combined track record of nearly $2 billion in hospitality transactions across more than 20 states.

New APAC exec for Elegant Hotel Collection. Newark, U.K.-based Elegant Hotel Collection has appointed Alice Matulessy as vice president of business development Asia Pacific. The move follows Elegant Hotel Collection’s intensified focus on the Asia Pacific market. She has over 20 years of experience in luxury hospitality and strategic sales and marketing and previously held leadership positions at Padma Hotels & Resorts, Discovery Hotels & Resorts and Paragon Hotels & Residences.

EVT hired APAC exec. EVT has hired Stella Blythe as senior vice president of development, Asia, effective June 3. Blythe brings over a decade of knowledge in hotel valuation and brokerage experience across EMEA and APAC experience and will be based out of the company’s Singapore office. She was most recently CBRE Asia Director of Hotels and Hospitality, Capital Markets and will now be part of the team leading EVT’s global expansion.

Majestic names new exec. Los Angeles-based Majestic Hospitality has named David Kuperberg as managing director of real estate. Kuperberg joins Majestic from Hyatt, where he played a role in the growth and success of the Dream portfolio after Hyatt’s acquisition of Dream Hotel Group. Before the acquisition in February 2023, he served as chief development officer at Dream Hotel Group. He has also worked at Virgin Hotels and Wyndham Hotels & Resorts.

PM Hotel Group names new VP. Chevy Chase, Maryland-based PM Hotel Group has appointed Scott Harrell as vice president, development, feasibility and analytics. He brings nearly 25 years of experience in commercial real estate and hospitality investment to the organization, including evaluating and executing high-value transactions and conducting market analysis. Before joining the company, Harrell served as a director at Hodges Ward Elliott, where he contributed to more than $5 billion in hospitality transactions across the U.S. He also held roles as director of acquisitions at TPG Hotels & Resorts and senior underwriter at CWCapital.

Rosewood names new COO. Hong Kong-based Rosewood Hotel Group has appointed two new corporate executives. Anthony Ingham is Rosewood’s new COO, effective September 1. Ingham brings decades of experience to his new role and previously worked at InterContinental, Starwood and Marriott International. He will join Rosewood Hotel Group from The Hong Kong Jockey Club, where he led the membership club business. Rosewood also named Luca Finardi vice president of operations, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Caribbean Atlantic (EMEAC), effective June 1. With over 20 years of experience in luxury hospitality, Finardi spent the past decade establishing Mandarin Oriental’s Italian portfolio and was most recently general manager of Mandarin Oriental Paris and area vice president of operations for France, Italy and the Czech Republic.

New CEO for Vail Resorts. Broomfield, Colorado-based Vail Resorts announced that former and current executive chair Rob Katz has been named CEO. Katz succeeds Kirsten Lynch, who has stepped down as CEO and as a director of the Board. Lynch will remain in an advisory role for an interim period to facilitate a smooth transition.