Here’s
a roundup of the top hotel executive moves of the past week.
New chair for BWH Board. BWH Hotel said its board of
directors has elected Steve Wahrlich as board chairperson for 2025. Wahrlich,
who previously served as the board’s vice chairperson, brings decades of
hospitality experience and over 40 years of BWH Hotels ownership to his new
role. The board of directors also elected Viral Patel as vice-chairperson and
Rajesh Patel as secretary-treasurer.
Exchange names COO. Fort Worth, Texas-based Exchange
Hotels Management has promoted Kristin Assad to COO. Assad was most recently
the vice president and general manager of Hotel Drover in Fort Worth and will
oversee all operational and experiential aspects of Stockyards Heritage
Development Co.’s hospitality assets in the Fort Worth Stockyards.
New VP for Hospitality America. Greenville, South
Carolina-based Hospitality America has named Kellie Hanselman as its new vice
president of sales. She has over 19 years of proven expertise in sales,
marketing, and leadership. Hanselman has held multiple leadership roles in the
hospitality industry, including director of sales & marketing for the
Waldorf Astoria in Park City, Utah, and has worked for several Hilton
properties across the U.S.
Kerzner names new president. Mark Kirby has been
appointed president of One&Only for Dubai-based Kerzner International,
effective January 6. With over 25 years of experience in the hospitality
industry, Kirby has held key positions within the Emaar Hospitality Group,
overseeing more than 30 hotels and residences across the Middle East and
beyond.
New SVP at Pandox. Stockholm-based Pandox AB has
appointed Mikael Hultqvist as new senior vice president of property management.
He will start the position in June 2025. Hultqvist has extensive and solid
experience in senior roles within the construction and real estate sectors and
most recently was CEO at Serneke Sverige and previously worked at Peab.
New brand president for Reside. Seattle-based Reside
has appointed Walter “J.R.” Dembiec, Jr. as brand president of Reside, a
Wyndham Residence. Dembiec is tasked with spearheading Reside’s flagship
branded residences offering. He joined Reside in 2018 as executive vice
president and general counsel and brings over three decades of legal and
business expertise to his new role.
Stonebridge names new SVP. Denver-based Stonebridge
Companies hotel management company has named Marco Selva as senior vice
president of business development and operations, luxury and lifestyle. He
has held senior roles in business development, operations and strategy at hospitality
firms, including SH Hotels & Resorts, Highgate, Ennismore and luxury brands
such as St Regis and Ritz-Carlton.
New president at Teneo. Minnetonka, Minnesota-based
Teneo Hospitality Group has named Jamie Bruce as its new president. He succeeds
Mike Schugt, who is leaving the company after 10 years in the position. Bruce
has held senior
positions with Waldorf-Astoria, Conrad,
Kerzner International, Atlantis Bahamas, KSL Resorts and Tavistock Hotel
Collection.