Hotel executive moves: B&B Hotels, Hotel Equities, HVMG, Pyramid Global

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

Atlantic names new exec. Kennebunk, Main-based Atlantic Hospitality has named Joe Schafer as culinary director. Schafer will bring over two decades of restaurant industry experience to his new role, leading the food and beverage programs across the company’s collection of hotels, restaurants and hospitality ventures. Before joining Atlantic Hospitality, he was at Kennebunkport Resort Collection, where he managed eight distinct restaurant concepts.

Azul names F&B exec. San Diego-based Azul Hospitality Group has named Giorgio Saturnino as vice president of food & beverage. Saturnino brings over 20 years of food and beverage leadership experience to Azul. His background includes leadership roles at luxury hotels, including the Fairmont Grand Del Mar, and several Four Seasons properties across Hawaii and the mainland U.S.

New CEO for B&B Hotels USA. B&B Hotels - USA has named Amir Mustafa as its new CEO, succeeding Valerio Duchini, who was recently named CEO of Western Europe for the company. Mustafa held various leadership positions at Extended Stay America and is the former senior vice president of operations at Aimbridge. Last year, France-based B&B Hotels entered the U.S. lodging space and intends to advance in the domestic market by keeping the same business model that works in Europe.

Extreme names new SVP. Scranton, Pennsylvania-based Extreme Hospitality has appointed Peter Hoffman as senior vice president of operations. Hoffman brings more than 20 years of hospitality leadership experience and most recently served as executive vice president of operations at Aimbridge Hospitality. He also worked at BRE Hotels & Resorts.

New director for Dreamscape. Dallas-based Dreamscape Hospitality has appointed Jill Burgess as director of hotel accounting. Burgess has over 25 years of experience in hospitality finance and was most recently corporate director of hotel accounting at Coury Hospitality.

New CEO of GG Hospitality. Blackburn, U.K.-based GG Hospitality, the hotel and restaurant firm backed by former Manchester United footballers Ryan Giggs and Gary Neville, has appointed Winston Zahra as its new CEO. Zahra has over 30 years of experience in hospitality and is the former co-owner and CEO of Island Hotels Group Holdings.'

Hotel Equities names new CDO. Atlanta-based Hotel Equities has named hospitality veteran Greg O’Stean as its new chief development officer (CDO) and promoted Joe Reardon to vice chairman. O’Stean was CDO at Aimbridge Hospitality for four years until January 2024 and for the last year CEO of Dubai’s United Hospitality Management and will lead HE’s development platform with plans to accelerate strategic growth initiatives and help expand the company’s global footprint. Reardon, who has overseen Hotel Equities’ business development efforts for the past 11 years, will be fully focused on strategic partnerships as the new vice chairman.

New CFO at HVMG. Atlanta-based Hospitality Ventures Management Group has named Gary Kunesh as senior vice president and CFO. Kunesh has more than three decades of hospitality experience and most recently served as vice president of financial planning and analysis with White Lodging Services. He also worked closely with ownership groups, including BRE Hotels & Resorts, Apple Hospitality REIT, RLJ Lodging Trust and Host Hotels & Resorts. He also worked at the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess Resort, Loews Hotels and Starwood Hotels & Resorts.

JLL PDS names new exec. JLL Project and Development Services (PDS) has appointed Ben Jackson as the global head of development services. In this newly created position, Jackson will oversee development advisory, development management, cost management and project controls for PDS. He has been with JLL for more than 10 years, most recently as PDS head of strategy and growth for EMEA and APAC.

LionGrove names new VP for F&B. Puerto Rico-based LionGrove has appointed Michael MacDonnell as vice president of food & beverage. Most recently, MacDonnell served as vice president of food & beverage at Fontainebleau Las Vegas, following five years in the same role at Atlantis Paradise Island in Nassau, Bahamas.

New officer for Mandarin Oriental. Hong Kong-based Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group has appointed ShaoWei Ong as chief people & culture officer. Amanda Hyndman, who has held the dual roles of chief people & culture officer and COO, will now focus fully on her responsibilities as COO. With over 22 years of human resources leadership experience, Ong joined the company from Jardines. She has also worked at Livi Bank, Sony Music Group, Secoo Group, Wyndham Hotel Group and United Overseas Bank.

Ong Beng Seng to step down. Property tycoon Ong Beng Seng is set to step down as managing director of Singapore-based Hotel Properties Limited (HPL) at the conclusion of the company’s annual general meeting on April 29. HPL said the move would allow Ong to “devote more time to manage his medical conditions.” It was reported in February that Ong, who is often credited with bringing Formula 1 to Singapore, had been diagnosed with bone marrow cancer. His health condition came to light amid his ongoing court case linked to former transport minister S Iswaran. Ong was charged with two offenses in October 2024. He is accused of abetting the former minister to obtain an all-expenses paid trip to Doha, Qatar, and obstruction of justice.

New COO for Pyramid Global Hospitality. Boston and The Woodlands, Texas-based Pyramid Global Hospitality has announced its COO, Eric Habermann, will retire this month following seven years with the company and a nearly 40-year career in hospitality. Habermann will be succeeded by Isaac Hicks, Pyramid Global’s current CFO. Habermann joined Pyramid Global in 2018 as the company’s chief accounting officer and became COO in 2019. Hicks becomes Pyramid Global Hospitality’s COO after six years with the company. He was previously senior vice president of business analytics and operational excellence and executive vice president of operations finance and analytics before being promoted to CFO in 2022. Hicks has nearly 30 years of experience in hospitality.

Resolute Road names two VPs. Boise, Idaho-based third-party management company Resolute Road Hospitality has added Doug Ableman as regional vice president of operations and Kent Duncan as vice president of revenue management. Ableman brings more than 25 years of hospitality experience to his role. With more than 15 years as a hotel GM and previous experience as a regional director of operations with Western States Lodging and Management, he has worked with various hotel brands. Duncan brings decades of industry experience, and his expertise spans commercial strategy, operations and asset management.

RLJ executive leaving. Bethesda, Maryland-based RLJ Lodging Trust disclosed the upcoming departure of executive vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary Chad Perry. According to the company’s recent 8-K filing with the SEC, Perry will leave his position on May 9 to pursue principal investing opportunities.

New CMO for Schulte. Louisville, Kentucky-based Schulte Hospitality Group has named Anne Fischer as its new chief marketing officer. Fischer has over 20 years of industry experience, most recently, she served as chief growth officer of Wingstop. She has also worked for Papa John’s International, The Walt Disney Co. and SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment.

Trinity promotes new executive. Honolulu-based Trinity Investments has promoted Rob Tanenbaum to managing director of strategic operations. Tanenbaum joined Trinity last year as senior vice president of strategic operations and, in his expanded role, will oversee Trinity’s strategic operations team in the U.S. and Europe.

Waramaug names new exec. Miami-based Waramaug Hospitality has appointed Nele Breitbart as executive vice president and head of asset management. Prior to joining Waramaug, Nele served as senior vice president of asset management at BRE Hotels & Resorts. She began her career as an analyst at Hyatt Hotels Corp. and spent over a decade at hotelAVE, a hotel asset management advisory firm.