Hotel executive moves: Marriott, Remington, Raffles, BWH

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

APF names new executive. Atlanta-based Access Point Financial (APF) has named Michelle O’Brien as managing director of structured finance. Before rejoining APF, O’Brien held multiple positions with Trilogy Investment, culminating with senior vice president of investments and operations. She previously worked at Stonehill and LWHA.

BWH names Australasia exec. BWH Hotels Australasia has appointed Dean Bagley to senior business development executive. Bagley joins from Choice Hotels Asia Pacific, where he served as franchise development manager. He brings nearly 20 years of experience in the tourism and hospitality industry, spanning business development, product development and B2B marketing.

Choice EMEA adds exec. Tobias Reinecke has been appointed head of development investment and portfolio growth at Choice Hotels EMEA. Reinecke has been with Choice Hotels EMEA since September 2022 and has been promoted from his previous position as director of investment and strategic partnerships. He previously worked for Christie & Co., Worldhotels, Spencer Management Partners AG and Horwath HTL.

New CEO at Fibra Inn. Mexico City-based REIT Fibra Inn has named Jaime Cohen its new CEO, succeeding Miguel Aliaga. Cohen brings over 15 years of experience in the hotel and real estate sectors, with his most recent role as vice president of hospitality and asset management at Parks Hospitality Holdings. Aliaga returns to his previous role as CFO.

HVS names Israel office leader. HVS has announced its Israeli office in Tel Aviv led by Ronit Copeland, who will be managing partner and CEO.

Kisawa names new CEO. Dubai-based Kisawa has appointed Ayman Gharib as CEO. Gharib brings over 25 years of experience, joining the team from his most recent role as vice president of operations for Raffles and Fairmont Middle East. Kisawa currently has one property, Kisawa Sanctuary in Mozambique.

Marriott restructures executives. Marriott International has named former Senior Vice President of Global Growth and Delivery Shannon Patterson, its new senior vice president of global sales, as part of a broader shakeup of the top of its sales organization. Patterson replaces longtime Senior Vice President of Global Sales Tammy Routh, who now is commercial performance leader for The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection. Other moves include the appointment of former Marriott and National Football League executive Andy Kauffman as chief commercial officer of the U.S. and Canada and Gail Frazer as senior vice president of sales and distribution for the U.S. and Canada. Patterson has been with Marriott for nearly 30 years, holding positions including senior vice president of Marriott’s customer engagement centers. She was most recently senior vice president of global growth and delivery. Kauffman most recently served as the NFL’s senior vice president of marketing strategy and science but spent 11 years with Marriott, including a stint as senior vice president of marketing channels and optimization. Routh has served as senior vice president of global sales since 2016. She has been with the company in a variety of corporate and on-property positions since 1983. Frazer has spent nearly 25 years with Marriott, most recently as managing vice president of sales and distribution for premium and luxury hotels of the U.S. Eastern region.

Raffles names chief brand officer. Paris-based Raffles Hotels & Resorts has appointed Claudia Kozma Kaplan as chief brand officer for Raffles and Fairmont Hotels. Kaplan was previously senior vice president and global head of brand for Raffles and has a career spanning the luxury fashion and hospitality industries, working for brands such as Leading Hotels of the World, The Beverly Wilshire Hotel, Société des Bains de Mer, Christian Dior, Gucci, and Loro Piana.

Remington adds new SVP. Dallas-based Remington Hospitality has appointed Brian Ehrlich as senior vice president of business development. Ehrlich joins Remington Hospitality with over 30 years of experience in the hospitality industry. His background includes broker, investment banker, developer, acquirer, manager and brand-creator roles. He has worked across a broad spectrum of properties, ranging from select-service to full-service, branded to lifestyle and independent.