Here’s
a roundup of the top hotel executive moves of the past week.
Here is a
compilation of the most critical executive moves of the past week in the hotel
investment world, alphabetically (by company):
New exec
at Alterra. Denver-based Alterra Mountain Company has named David Flueck as chief customer
officer and president, Ikon Pass. He has over two decades of experience in
travel and hospitality and most recently served as global officer of Loyalty,
Cards, and New Businesses at Marriott International.
Braemar
adds to board. Dallas-based REIT Braemar Hotels & Resorts is adding to its board with the
appointment of Bob Ghassemieh. The appointment comes in connection with a
cooperation agreement, as the Ghassemieh Group collectively owns approximately
7.3% of Braemar’s outstanding common stock.
Concord
promotes execs. Raleigh, North Carolina-based Concord Hospitality has announced a series of
promotions, including Cathryn Andrews to senior vice president of Hotel
Accounting, Joe Trumfio to senior vice president of Investment Operations,
Compliance and Reporting and Alex Langston to senior director of Risk
Management.
Davidson
promotes execs. Davidson Hospitality Group has reorganized its commercial services function
with the promotions of Patrick Broderick and Harry Carr to the newly created
roles of senior vice president, Commercial Optimization and the appointment of
Kathryn Collins to vice president, Marketing. Broderick joined Davidson in 2021
as vice president, Sales and Revenue Management for Davidson Resorts and has a
37-year career in hospitality. He previously worked at Marriott. Carr’s tenure
with Davidson began just prior to the launch of Pivot in 2016 and he was most
recently senior vice president of Revenue Management. He has more than 30 years
of hospitality experience and worked at SBE, Viceroy Hotel Group, Interstate
Hotels & Resorts, Starwood, and Hilton. Collins was most recently at
Remington Hospitality, where she was senior director of Marketing & Digital
Strategy. She also worked at Bryte and Marriott.
Donohoe
names new VP. Bethesda, Maryland-based Donohoe Hospitality Services has named Nicole Brizan
vice president of finance and accounting. Brizan most recently served as
director of hotel accounting and reporting at Host Hotels and Resorts and held
multiple financial positions at Marriott.
Dreamscape
names CALA advisor. Dallas-based Dreamscape Hospitality has named Jerry Butler as special advisor
for the Caribbean. His career spans more than 30 years across the Caribbean,
North America, Latin America, Europe and Asia.
New CEO
for Marriott Vacations. Marriott Vacations Worldwide has appointed Matt Avril as CEO. He joined
the company’s board in March and has served as interim president and CEO
since November. The company also announced the appointment of Mike Flaskey as
president and COO, effective immediately. Flaskey has more than 25 years of
experience in the vacation ownership and hospitality industries, including
senior roles at Starwood Vacation Ownership and Diamond Resorts International.
MXR names
CEO, president. MXR
Hospitality has named Brent McDowell as its inaugural CEO and Eric Watts as its
inaugural president. MXR is a strategic partnership of Dallas-based RREAF
Holdings and hospitality investor Phillip McNeill Sr. McDowell was COO for
McNeill Hotel Co. and also worked at Pillar Hotels & Resorts Construction
and Goldman Sachs. Watts also serves as president, extended stay at RREAF,
which he joined in 2016. He also worked for Innovation Renovation and Fogelman
Properties Group.
Nikki
Beach promotes exec. Miami-based Nikki Beach Hospitality Group has named Julie Desvaux as global
marketing director for hotels & resorts. With more than 20 years of senior
leadership experience, Desvaux brings extensive cross-market experience to the
role. She held senior positions at Airelles, Groupe Barrière and, most
recently, Compagnie Lebon.
The Other
House founder departs. London-based The Other House said its founder, co-owner and CEO, Naomi
Heaton, is departing to become executive chair at LCP Private Office and launch
new initiatives. The Other House was launched in 2022 and was Heaton's vision.
Park
names COO. Tysons,
Virginia-based REIT Park Hotels & Resorts has named Sean Dell’Orto as COO,
effective February 12. Dell’Orto will also continue to serve as executive vice
president, CFO and treasurer, roles he has held since the company’s spin from
Hilton in 2017.
New CEO
at Sotherly. Sotherly Hotels Inc. has named Zachary Schmidt as CEO after the resignation of
David Folsom. Earlier this month, Memphis, Tennessee-based Kemmons Wilson
Hospitality Partners (KWHP) and Los Angeles-based Ascendant Capital Partners
completed the acquisition of the REIT. Schmidt joined KWHP in 2017 and has
served various roles, most recently as head of portfolio management. Prior to
joining KWC, Schmidt worked at Bank of America Merrill Lynch.
StepStone
promotes SVP. Providence, Rhode Island-based StepStone Hospitality has promoted Kristina
Randorf to senior vice president, revenue management. Randorf joined StepStone
in 2017 and was most recently vice president, revenue management.