Hotel executive moves: Minor, RIU, Rio Hotel & Casino

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

GF Hotels names new exec. Philadelphia-based GF Hotels & Resorts has appointed Brian Goodman to its executive team as the director of development. Goodman has more than a decade of hospitality experience and was previously the director of strategy & investments for New York City-based Real Hospitality Group. He also worked for Texas Western Hospitality and Starwood Hotels & Resorts.

Minor names two new executives. Minor Hotels has appointed Puneet Dhawan as head of Asia starting in July. Dhawan has a 30-year hospitality career and was most recently senior vice president of operations - India & South Asia for Accor. He also previously worked for the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group. Minor also named Lokesh Kumar as vice president of development for the Middle East. Kumar has over 23 years of experience and joins the company from a management consulting role at Insignia Worldwide. He previously worked at HRDS Global, Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts, Technopak Advisors Pvt. Ltd., Unison Hotels Pvt. Ltd. and Oberoi Hotels & Resorts.

New COO for Premier. Dallas-based Premier, an architecture, design, procurement, project management, and corporate engineering firm specializing in hospitality, has named Johannes Michalsky its COO. Michalsky most recently served as Premier’s executive vice president and has worked for the company for 11 years.

New CEO for Rio. The Rio Hotel & Casino Las Vegas has appointed Patrick Miller as its new president and CEO. Miller has 28 years of experience in the gaming and hospitality industry and was most recently senior vice president – hospitality for MGM Resorts International. He also previously worked for the Monte Carlo Resort & Casino, Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino and The Mirage.

Co-CEO of RIU will retire. Carmen Riu, currently co-CEO of Palma, Spain-based RIU Hotels & Resorts, a position she shares with her brother Luis Rio, will retire this summer. Luis Rio will continue as the company’s sole CEO. She and her brother were appointed CEOs in 1998 following the death of their father.