Hotel executive moves: American Hospitality, Dreamscape, Minor, Starwood REIT

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

American Hospitality names new COO. Cheboygan, Michigan-based American Hospitality Management has appointed Matt Hughes as its new COO.  He brings nearly 30 years of hospitality experience to the company, having begun his career in banquet setup and housekeeping before rising to GM roles and ultimately serving as VP, operations for a portfolio of 32 hotels.

Bob W names new Europe execs. Helsinki, Finland-based Bob W is strengthening its presence in Spain, Italy and Portugal with the appointments of Badis Boudjakdji as real estate director for Iberia and Renato Sciannimanico as real estate director for Southern Europe. Boudjakdji joins from coliving specialist Urban Campus and and has also worked at PwC, BNP Paribas, and Covivio. Sciannimanico comes from private equity firm Tristan Capital Partners and previously worked at Allianz Real Estate (now PIMCO Prime).

Dreamscape names new EVP. Dallas-based Dreamscape Hospitality has named Matt Greene as executive vice president to oversee the company’s new luxury & lifestyle division. With more than 25 years of leadership experience across the luxury, lifestyle, and branded residential sectors, Greene brings a wealth of operational, technical services, and business development expertise and insight to Dreamscape. Most recently, Greene served as executive vice president, luxury residences at Highgate and also worked for Aimbridge Hospitality and Evolution Hospitality.

Elegant Hotel Collection adds APAC CEO. London-based Elegant Hotel Collection has appointed Anita Chan as CEO for the Asia Pacific region. Having served as CEO for Compass Edge for the past decade, Chan brings a wealth of experience to her new role with Elegant Hotel Collection. She will continue to operate and oversee Compass Edge alongside her commitment to the Elegant Hotel Collection ASPAC joint venture.

Fairmont names new global VP. Dubai-based Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, one of Accor’s luxury brands, has appointed Emma Darby as global vice president of spa & wellness. Darby brings over two decades of hospitality experience, having held senior roles at Rosewood Hotels & Resorts and The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Group. She was most recently COO at Resense Spas.

Kempinski adds to C-suite. Munich, Germany-based Kempinski Hotels has appointed Hoda Tahoun as the new chief talent officer. She joins Kempinski from Russell Reynolds Associates, where she was the global leader of the leisure & hospitality Practice. Tahoun has over 27 years in talent management and human resources.

Langham names director of music. Hong Kong-based Langham Hospitality Group has named veteran DJ and events specialist Andrew Grant as its group director of music. The newly created post will see Grant composing a full-spectrum strategy that includes live performances, collaborations, and signature soundscapes, all designed to strengthen LHG’s family of hotel brands and the distinctive guest journeys they foster. He has over 25 years of music- industry experience.

Minor adds regional exec. Minor Hotels recently announced the appointment of Nicholas Smith as vice president of operations for its Asia region. Smith has 25 years of experience in the hospitality industry, bringing a wealth of expertise to his new role at Minor Hotels. He honed his operational skills at the Shangri-La Group, where he joined in 2008 as a food & beverage manager in Malaysia. Over 15 years, he occupied several senior leadership positions, including hotel and general manager roles at Shangri-La and Kerry Hotels properties in China, Hong Kong, the Philippines and Malaysia. Smith also worked for Four Seasons, Mandarin Oriental, and Savoy Group in London and the United States.

Rotana adds regional exec. Abu Dhabi-based Rotana has appointed Khaled Al Jamal as area vice president – Saudi Arabia, Bahrain & Jordan, strengthening its senior leadership team as it pursues accelerated growth in the region. Al Jamal brings more than 37 years of hospitality industry experience, including leadership positions across Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey, and Europe. Prior to joining Rotana, Al Jamal served as general manager at JW Marriott Riyadh and chair of Marriott’s Business Council for Saudi Arabia. His appointment comes at a time when the Kingdom’s tourism and hospitality sector is undergoing structural change.

New CEO for Starwood REIT. Miami Beach, Florida-based Starwood Real Estate Income Trust (SREIT), a non-listed REIT managed by Starwood Capital Group, announced that Nora Creedon, a real estate investment executive with nearly two decades of REIT leadership experience, has been appointed SREIT’s president and CEO, effective July 28. Creedon will succeed Sean Harris, who is stepping down to pursue other opportunities. She joins SREIT after 18 years at Goldman Sachs, where she most recently served as CEO and president of GS REIT, a non-traded equity REIT. Previously, Creedon was the global head of REITs and infrastructure strategies within fundamental equity investing at Goldman Sachs and spent several years at Fidelity Investments and Fortress Investment Group.