Here’s
a roundup of the top hotel executive moves of the past week.
Here is a
compilation of the most important executive moves of the past week in the hotel
investment world alphabetically (by company):
AHLA
names new SVP. Washington,
D.C.-based American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) has hired Steven
Okuley as its new senior vice president for conferences and events. Okuley
previously served at American Airlines as director of B2B customer engagement
and communication. Before that, he was director of global meetings and events
for Starwood Hotels & Resorts.
New COO
at Aperture. Atlanta-based Aperture Hotels has named Patrick Short as chief operating
operator. Before joining Aperture, Short was president of Peachtree Hospitality
Management and his extensive background includes managing a wide range of
properties, from small boutique hotels to large convention and resort
destinations.
Berkadia
adds managing director. New York City-based Berkadia has added Jennifer Dakin as a managing
director to Berkadia Hotels & Hospitality. Dakin will be based in
Berkadia’s D.C. Metro office and officially joined the company on September 16.
She has over 28 years of multi-faceted commercial banking experience. Before
joining Berkadia, Dakin worked in the commercial real estate group at Wells
Fargo Bank.
Colliers
new Tokyo exec Kei
Sumiyoshi has been appointed senior director and head of Hotels &
Hospitality at Colliers in Tokyo, which will commence operation in Japan on
October 1. Sumiyoshi has been involved in the financial and real estate
industries for more than 30 years, specializing in real estate brokerage and
M&A advisory services and has more than 20 years of experience in the
hotels and hospitality sector. Before joining Colliers, he worked at Jones Lang
LaSalle K.K. and Deloitte Tohmatsu Financial Advisory LLC.
Cycas
names new European exec. Amsterdam-based Cycas Hospitality has named Martin Coombes vice
president of operations for the U.K., Ireland, and the Netherlands. Coombes has
over 25 years of hospitality management experience, including, most recently,
senior roles with Atlas Hotels.
LeBlanc's new role at Peachtree. Brent LeBlanc is now leading Peachtree Group’s business
development efforts across its investment platforms. In his new role as
executive vice president, business development, he will support Peachtree’s
efforts to grow and expand its vertically integrated investment platforms. His
responsibilities will include focusing on cross-marketing strategies, fostering
business development and collaborating closely with the investment teams to
drive innovation and capture new opportunities. LeBlanc joined Peachtree in
2012 to lead a growth strategy to expand Peachtree’s footprint into the western
U.S. and strengthen relationships with premium-branded hotels such as Marriott,
Hilton, Hyatt and IHG. During that time, LeBlanc participated in more than $4
billion in real estate transactions across the enterprise.
New VP at Unique Vacations. Miami-based
Unique Vacations, an affiliate of the worldwide representative of Sandals
Resorts and Beaches Resorts, has named Sabrina Cendral as vice president of
brand marketing. She has over 18 years of international hospitality marketing
expertise and was previously a consultant and chief marketing, strategy and
digital experience officer at YPO and also worked for Club Med.