Here’s a roundup of the top hotel executive moves of the past week.
CEO of Coaching Inn
Group steps down. Kevin Charity is stepping down as CEO of UK-based
Coaching Inn Group at the end of March. Charity founded the company in 1996,
and RedCat acquired it in August 2021. Since then, it has nearly doubled from
18 to 35 properties. Richard Lewis, who joined the company last October, will
become CEO of RedCat Pub Co.
Aimbridge EMEA adds. Aimbridge EMEA, a
division of Plano, Texas-based Aimbridge Hospitality, has named Xavier
Etcheberrigaray as its new director of operations and quality – Europe.
Etcheberrigaray previously worked in Aimbridge’s American division, where he
was the general manager of several properties. He will report to Vice President
Operations Nicole Turnhout-Ammerlann in his new role. Before working at
Aimbridge, Etcheberrigaray worked at Kempinski Hotels, Rixos Hotels, Caesars
Entertainment Corp., and HEI Hotels & Resorts.
New CEO at Expedia. Peter Kern will
leave as CEO of Expedia Group in May, and Ariane Gorin, currently president of
Expedia for Business, will become CEO. Kern will remain as vice chairman of the
company’s board. He shared the news at the company’s Q4 and full-year 2023
earnings call.
Highgate names new head of design. Irving,
Texas-based Highgate has appointed Tony Machado as head of design. In this
newly created role, Machado will join Highgate’s in-house design and
construction studio, Lucid, to oversee all aspects of design innovation and
execution for Highgate’s portfolio and Viceroy Hotels and Resorts. Before
joining Highgate, Machado worked at Starwood Capital Group/SH Hotels &
Resorts and Morgans Hotel Group.
Design Hotels names new managing director. Berlin-based
Design Hotels has named Stijn Oyen as managing director. Oyen has over 20 years
of industry experience and worked at Marriott International and Starwood Hotels & Resorts.
New Asia Pacific exec for SH Hotels. Miami-based SH
Hotels & Resorts has named Frank Sorgiovanni as vice president of development for Asia
Pacific. Sorgiovanni previously worked at Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas and
JLL.
Radisson appoints managing director in UK. Brussels-based
Radisson Hotel Group has appointed Suzanne Speak as managing director of the UK and Ireland. Speak joined Radisson in 2021 as cluster general manager for
Radisson Blu Hotel Manchester Airport and Park Inn by Radisson Manchester City
Centre. Previously, Speak worked at Bolton Whites Hotel and De Vere Venues.
WSLM makes numerous C-suite changes. Salt Lake
City-based management and development firm Western States Lodging and
Management (WSLM) has announced several changes to its executive leadership
team. The changes are David Webster, Jr. to COO; Chad Griffiths to CFO;
Jennifer Knecht to chief revenue officer; Marshall Paepke to chief strategy and human resource officer; and Cole Smith to chief development officer.