Why you should offer cross-training opportunities

Cross-training offers many benefits to supervisors and the organizations that employ them beyond covering for coworkers who are out. And cross-training is beneficial to employees as well.

Those benefits include:

• Development of new skills
• Better appreciation for what coworkers’ jobs involve
• Opportunities to meet and network with employees in other departments
• Greater flexibility to cover for employees while they are on vacation or absent
• Better understanding of organizational procedures

Programs to provide cross-training opportunities for employees, supervisors, and managers can take shape in different ways. For example, your organization might develop a program where employees can express interest in the type of training they would be most interested in receiving. Or, the organization might develop a standard set of cross-training opportunities appropriate for each job.

Either way, employees will appreciate being given a chance to learn new things and will be motivated to continue to expand their knowledge of the entire operation. The more flexibility that can be built into the program, the more employees will be encouraged to participate.

Source: www.hr.blr.com

Marriott International Launches Hospitality Education Program in China

Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR) today announced a “Marriott Apprentice Program” (MAP program) in collaboration with the prestigious Nankai University and American Hotel & Lodging  Association Educational Institute for China. This is a pioneering hospitality education initiative that innovatively integrates a sustained internship with both campus and online learning.

Nankai University is going to enroll students nationwide for the MAP program. It is also responsible for providing the curriculum, classroom instruction and coordinating the program. The enrolled students are expected to undergo a five-year comprehensive hotel education program that consists of 18 months of learning on campus, 38 months of combined online learning and internship at Marriott hotels in two phases, as well as a final evaluation featuring progressive performance appraisal of the internships.

Students who have successfully completed the MAP program will receive graduation certificates from Nankai University,  as well as the internationally recognized certificates from the American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute.  They will also receive supervisory job offers from Marriott International. For those outstanding graduates of the MAP program, they will seamlessly be connected to the Global Voyage Program, Marriott’s proprietary “future leader incubator” targeting elite university graduates worldwide.

“We are honored and excited to work with Nankai University and American Hotel & Lodging Association Educational Institute on the MAP program. This collaboration will not only benefit the long-term growth of Marriott International in China, but also help take the country’s hospitality education to the next level,” said Regan Taikitsadaporn, Chief Human Resources Officer for Asia Pacific of Marriott International.

“The MAP program is another vivid example of our company’s purpose that we open doors to a world of opportunity. China has an abundant supply of talented youth – Giving them the right kind of training, coaching and support, they will shine and become high caliber professionals for our industry,” Taikitsadaporn added.

“The MAP program represents the state-of-the-art local and international hospitality education that is being backed by one of the most established hotel groups worldwide. Marriott International plays a pivotal role in the MAP program as it provides our students with internship opportunities, systematic on-job training for all positions within the hotel including managerial ones, as well as supervisory job offers for those outstanding performers,” said Guan Naijia, Vice Chancellor of Nankai University.  “The three partners are offering our potential students a unique package of theoretical and on-the-job internship education and training that is exceptional in China.”

“Our institute has over 60 years of experience in providing working hospitality professionals with education and training. We are continually elevating our programs to ensure the industry will get a variety of hospitality solutions that reflect the best practices in the hotel and lodging sector. We are pleased to work with Marriott International and Nankai University to make a contribution to the development of the hospitality industry of China,” said Leon Shi, Country Manager of Operations – Greater China of the American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute.

Nankai University is going to enroll students for the MAP program right after the three partners sign the co-operation agreement today (August 26). The annual enrollment of students will be determined in accordance with Marriott’s projected demand for supervisory associates in China over the next five years. The 2014 enrollment will be 150 students.

Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ: MAR) is a global leading lodging company based in Bethesda, Maryland, USA, over 4,000 properties and 690,000 rooms in 79 countries and territories and reported revenues of nearly $13 billion in fiscal year 2013.

Source: www.hotelnewsresource.com/

Three Insider Tactics to Effectively Hire Hospitality Leadership from Outside the Sector

As an executive search professional who is specialized in the hotel and restaurant sectors, clients often encourage me to recruit leaders from outside their respective segments of the industry.

This approach is certainly not new, but there has been a marked increase in such requests over the past two years. The practice makes sense and can be extremely effective when it is done thoughtfully and with a strategic purpose.

All too often, however, that purpose is neither well-defined nor maintained throughout the search process. Therefore, three insider tactics are shared here to help ensure success in your recruitment initiatives.

There is always inherent risk when hiring any new executive — such as learning curve and acclimation to a new culture – so it’s imperative to understand why you’re venturing “outside” a sector to acquire talent. Remembering the “why” throughout the entire recruitment process allows everyone to maintain focus on the core objective.

For example, a forward-thinking restaurant company looking to develop an international growth strategy may consider talent from one of the many hotel companies that have a successful track record with global expansion. Likewise, a luxury hotel company that wants to tackle a major branding initiative could consider hiring an innovative Chief Marketing Officer from a fine-dining restaurant group to infuse new ideas into their organization.

Regardless of the specific objective, there are three principles or strategies that are needed for a successful search outside a sector or industry. Having this in mind throughout the process will help to ensure focus, efficiency, and ultimate technical and cultural fit. Access the full report here or continue reading:

Know where to look when identifying talent

Expand your vision beyond your direct business segment, but keep it within the umbrella of hospitality-related industries. There are clear differences among executives who have worked specific verticals of hospitality, but the trademarks for success are reasonably consistent — delivering a high quality service and product in a highly customer-focused environment.

Taking it a step further, recruitment efforts can also include industries parallel to the hospitality business. For example, there’s no reason not to consider candidates within the retail segment as these individuals typically have similar focus and passion towards customer service and the drive for quality.  In fact, some brands like Apple and Mercedes Benz often set the standard for service quality.

What competencies are transferable

My hospitality search assignments over the years have taught me that many critical skill sets are transferable across segments, most notably in the functions of marketing, sales, finance, IT, supply chain and human resources.

For instance, regardless of industry, a Chief Financial Officer needs to exhibit solid problem-solving skills and high ethical awareness. In contrast, an SVP of Human Resources needs to have creativity, service orientation, and leadership in order to be a strategic business partner at the enterprise level.

Once the critical skill sets are established, you are prepared to ask yourself the next vital question — “what skill sets are not transferable?”  A Chief Executive Officer coming from a non-service industry would likely have a difficult time transferring into the hospitality segment.  Additionally, many segments of the hospitality industry tend to function around the clock with multiple service lines, which could prove to be a difficult adjustment for an Operations Executive coming from a more narrow business model.

On-Boarding

Many industry professionals don’t fully realize that the recruitment process doesn’t end when an offer letter is accepted.

An organization’s on-boarding program is critical in helping any new hires succeed in their roles. Lack of technical competency usually isn’t the reason why new hires at executive levels drop out – it’s a lack of cultural fit.

Therefore, on-boarding supports new hires with the necessary knowledge and expectations to assimilate into the new culture. To be most effective, the on-boarding period should include setting very clear short- and long-term expectations and providing consistent feedback to your new executive on a regular basis.

It’s also essential that full transparency at all times is the core of all disclosures and interactions with the new leader. Knowledge of all company-wide issues helps builds the road map to navigate their new company.

Organizations take a considerable time thoughtfully recruiting new leaders, and on-boarding those leaders should take a similar approach, especially when they are an outsider to the sector or industry.

The bottom line is that any new addition to your executive team is an important decision that aims to drive the business forward with a strong ROI.

At a certain level it can affect the entire company and can potentially alter the voice or tone of the company culture. Bringing in someone from the outside can lend new perspectives and experiences and produce extremely positive outcomes.

The key is to know where to look, identify the needed skill-set, and then be sure to have a systematic on-boarding process in place to set up your new leader for ultimate success.

And don’t think of these as independent approaches. These are three, proven strategies that work best in tandem… much like three legs of a tripod that give a stable and enduring foundation.

Source: http://www.4hoteliers.com/

Leadership Mentoring – What’s Most Important

According to a Benchmark study in 2012, US companies alone spend almost $14 billion annually on leadership development with the cost of customized offerings from top business schools reaching upwards of $150,000 per person. No one can doubt that it’s important. But molding the next generation of hospitality leaders (keeping this price tag in mind) is far easier said than done.

How to Get A Job Before It’s Posted

Just because an organization wants to hire doesn’t mean it’s in any rush to fill its open slots. But a new study by three economists underscores that the flip side is also true: firms frequently hire even without having a formal opening.

To better understand how vacancies relate to actual hiring, Steven Davis of the University of Chicago, Jason Faberman of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, and John Haltiwanger of the University of Maryland dug into the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey. This survey samples some 16,000 establishments each month, asking firms how many people they are looking to hire, what sort of advertising they’re doing to find workers, and more.

Looking at data from 2000 through 2006, the researchers found that 42% of hires were happening at establishments that had said, just the month before, they had no vacancies. The take-away for job-seekers: companies often move fast to fill positions as they open. If there’s a place you want to work, find a way to introduce yourself before a job opening is even posted. Because once companies decide to hire, you might not have much time to sell yourself.

And a short window of opportunity is actually the best case scenario. The survey asks companies about vacancies at the end of the month, and then tracks how many hires happen in the next 30 days. This means that the raw numbers don’t differentiate between a company quickly filling an opening, and a company hiring a person without ever officially logging a vacancy. Using some fancy economic modeling, the researchers found evidence that for a full 27% of hires, establishments never recorded a vacancy. What’s going on there? It’s possible to come up with different stories, but one is that establishments hire when they see someone they want—even more reason to try to get your foot in the door before the door is open.

The researchers also took a look at how fast different sorts of firms fill open positions. Construction outfits were the fastest to fill openings. Retailers, leisure and hospitality firms, and transportation establishments were fairly speedy, too. At the other end were employers falling into the categories of government, health and education, and finance. These sorts of establishments took more than a month on average to fill an open position. That’s not to knock certain employers. As the researchers note, some industries are subject to laws and regulations requiring formal search processes, while others survive on constantly filling short-term positions.

In fact, the notion that some outfits are constantly and quickly hiring meshes with another finding: the higher an establishment’s worker turnover rate, the more likely it is to fill positions quickly. That is to say, the firms that get back to you immediately about your application may also be the ones where employees are frequently leaving.

Perhaps that’s something to keep in mind the next time you are waiting and waiting to hear back about a job application.

Source: www.business2community.com

Asia: Global Tourisms Driving Force

Over the next decade, the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) predicts Asia’s travel and tourism industry will grow by more than 6% each year—the fastest expansion rate of any region in the world.  By 2020, Asian travelers will account for nearly one-half of all global tourism expenditures and out of the 70 million new jobs the industry will create globally in the next 10 years, about two-thirds (47 million) will be in Asia.

This is a big deal because the numbers are huge.  Just last year, for the first time, more than one billion people in the world crossed their national borders to travel and a large portion of these travelers were Asian.

Here, in the United States, we are expected to welcome a record number of global visitors this year, 69.6 million, and a similar growth pattern of about 4% is expected to continue each year through 2018 when the U.S. Commerce Department predicts that 84.6 million travelers will visit the country from abroad.

In 2012, four out of the top 15 countries accounting for the 67 million international visitors who came to the United States were from Asia.  They were in fourth place, Japan (3.7 million, up 13.8% vs. 2011); seventh place, China (1.5 million, up 35.3% vs. 2011); ninth place, South Korea (1.3 million, up 9.3% vs. 2011) and in 12th place, India (720,000, up 9.2% vs. 2011).

By 2020, WTTC predicts two out of every five travelers globally will be from Asia.

While Asia’s skyrocketing tourism growth—both as a receptor of international tourism and as the world’s largest cohort of global travelers–will continue to be centered in China, India and Southeast Asia and virtually all the Asian countries are participating.  It is the result of national pro-tourism policies locally throughout the region and the region’s rapidly emerging middle class—it’s estimated that China and India together now have about three billion people with the financial where-with-all to travel.

Today, much of Asia’s tourism tends to focus intra-regionally and domestically.  Increasingly, however, these travelers are venturing far afield to the “hot” spots of Europe, Africa and the Americas.  Here in California, for those of us who make our living in the tourism and hospitality industry, China is poised to become our primary international tourism market.  Last year, Chinese visitors to our state spent $2 billion and everyone is taking notice.

With such phenomenal growth underway, a massive transformation is taking place in the global travel and tourism industry, not only in who is traveling but how to best serve these new travelers.

We must all grapple with how to understand what these new travelers want and how we can better meet their interests and needs.  Our facilities, services and signage need to better reflect how these new visitors are accustomed to using similar facilities and how they usually communicate.  Our global tourism infrastructure needs to be strengthened so that the waves of new tourists coming our way won’t overwhelm the attractions and events that caught their interest in the first place.  We need to better sensitize ourselves to the cultural nuances and understandings that can make the difference between simply visiting a destination and feeling truly welcomed by the local community while there.  Lastly, we’ve got to find and train people-oriented members for our service teams—people who will go that extra mile with a smile and a lot of heart.

Travel and tourism is a people-to-people business.  It can have a positive effect on the social, cultural, educational and economic fabric of the host country and the international visitor and to international relations in the broadest sense.  Often, what you think of the world depends on what you see and experience—let’s all work to ensure the experience is positive.

Source: http://www.forbes.com

Chris Parkin Appointed to NZ Tourism Board

Museum Hotel owner and former Wellington city councillor Chris Parkin has today been appointed as a member of the NZ Tourism Board.

News from NZ Government
Prime Minister and Tourism Minister John Key announced the appointment of Chris Parkin, Jacqui Spice and Norm Thompson as members of the New Zealand Tourism Board.

Chris Parkin has spent more than 20 years in the hospitality industry and has considerable Board experience at both Director and Chair levels. He is currently the Chairman of Wellington Venues Ltd, a trustee of the Hannah Playhouse Trust, and the owner of the Museum Hotel in Wellington. Mr Parkin has previously held the positions of Wellington City Councillor, Director and Chairman of St James Trust, and Director of Te Papa.

Jacqui Spice is the founder and Director of Touch of Spice Ltd, a New Zealand luxury travel and concierge company. Ms Spice’s extensive experience in the luxury tourism and hospitality markets will be immensely valuable to the Board as Tourism New Zealand increases its focus on high-value visitors.

Norm Thompson currently holds the role of Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Air New Zealand – a position he will be retiring from on 31 December 2013. Mr Thompson is the Deputy Chair of Auckland Tourism, Events and Economic Development and Vice Chair of Japan New Zealand Business Council, and was previously the Chairman of the Tourism Industry Association New Zealand.

“The depth of knowledge and experience of these candidates will make a significant contribution to the New Zealand Tourism Board,” says Mr Key.

These appointments are for three-year terms, with Ms Spice commencing her appointment on 27 January 2014 and Mr Thompson and Mr Parkin commencing their appointments on 11 April 2014.

Two of these positions are to replace Jennie Langley and Henry van Asch, who are departing the Board in April 2014 following completion of their second terms, and the third appointment is for a previously unfilled position on the Board.

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank Ms Langley and Mr van Asch for their commitment and service over their two terms with the Board,” says Mr Key.

The New Zealand Tourism Board (known as Tourism New Zealand) is a Crown entity, responsible for ensuring that New Zealand is effectively marketed as a visitor destination in order to maximise long-term benefits to New Zealand.

Source: http://wellington.scoop.co.nz

Tourism Sector Eyes 100,000 Jobs in 5 Years

The number of hotel rooms is expected to grow by more than 300,000 whereas new 100,000 jobs will be created in the next five years, local media said quoting a tourism and hospitality expert.
Deputy head of Hotels and Housing Units Committee at Riyadh Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI) said the number of Saudis working in the hotel sector currently stands at only 30 percent of the overall manpower. Most of them are working in reception, security and administrative works, he told Al-Riyadh daily.
The local market needs qualified Saudi youths and the mostly required skills lie in the English language as an hotel employee needs it in dealing with customers and finalizing their entry and departure formalities used in all hotels worldwide, he said.
The tourism colleges which exist in some Saudi universities need review of their syllabuses, notably in the English language in the early years of study, the importance of spreading culture of work discipline, long working hours and the spirit of team-work, he said.
In this context, he appreciated the government support to the saudization efforts and Human Resources Development Fund (HRDF) which has been bearing 50 percent of wages of many employees working in the private sector firms. However, the government has to follow up and redress job leakage cases in hotels and other departments , he said.
Riyadh Gov. Prince Khalid bin Bandar and head of the Supreme Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA) Prince Sultan bin Salman have recently launched a strategic partnership between the Technical and Vocational Training Corp. (TVTC). This included the opening of a tourism and hotel college which will absorb nearly 2,000 students in 48 classes containing three English language labs, five computer labs, an hotel, a club, restaurants for on-the-job training (OJT).

Source: http://www.arabnews.com

Global HR Update

THE AMERICAS

Burt Cabañas’ Benchmark Hospitality has promoted Alex Cabañas to President and Chief Executive Officer. He has been with the company for the past eight years, most recently as President, Business Development and Finance.

Greg Champion has been promoted to Executive Vice President and  at Benchmark Hospitality. For the past five years, he had served as Head of Operations with the company.

Daniel Lee has been appointed Chief Executive Officer at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, taking over fromJoseph Magliarditi, who served as Chief Executive Officer for two and a half years. Lee was previously Chief Executive Officer of Pinnacle Entertainment.

Jack Damioli has been named Vice President and Managing Director at the Broadmoor in Colorado Springs. For the past seven years, he had served as President and General Manager of the Gasparilla Inn and Golf Club after 22 years at the Greenbrier, in various roles, most recently as General Manager.

Jon Reecher takes over from Damioli with his promotion to General Manager at the Gasparilla Inn and Club. Reecher joined the resort in 2008 as Director of Food and Beverage. He previously served 10 years in various roles with the Greenbrier.

Bruno Vergeynst has been named General Manager for the Ludlow in New York, slated to open early 2014. Vergeynst was most recently at Mama Shelter in Paris as Director of Operations. He is the former General Manager at the Custom Hotel in Los Angeles and Assistant General Manager with André Balazs Properties at SunsetBeach on Shelter Island and the Standard Miami. He had previously served as Director of Food and Beverage atHudson for China Grill Management.

Hervé Blondel has returned to Mexico as General Manager at Las Alcobas in Mexico City. He had previously served as Regional Director of Operations/General Manager in Los Cabos with the Costa Baja Resort & Spa before taking on his most recent role overseeing the Hotel Ivy in Minneapolis.

David Shipman has been appointed General Manager at Rancho Valencia Resort & Spa. Shipman was most recently the Managing Director at the Vintage Inn and Villagio Inn & Spa, in Napa Valley. At Rancho Valencia, he takes over from Simon Chen, now the General Manager at Aspen’s Little Nell.

Susan Santiago has been appointed Area Vice President and General Manager of the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza. Most recently, Santiago was Vice President of Food and Beverage -Americas Operations for Hyatt Hotels & Resorts. She is the former General Manager for the Hyatt Key West and the Hyatt Regency Aruba Resort and Casino.

Tamir Kobrin has been named General Manager of Acqualina in Florida. He was previously the General Manager of the Leela Palace Kempinski in Udaipur.

Caleb DuBose has been promoted to General Manager at the NYLO Las Colinas. He joined the hotel in December as the Director of Sales and Marketing. He is the former Director of Sales and Marketing for both the Omni Dallas Park West and the Omni Corpus Christi.

Bernhard Wimmer has been appointed Managing Director of the Rosewood Hotel Georgia in Vancouver, taking over from Dwight Sanford. Most recently, Wimmer was General Manager of the Shangri-La Xian while also overseeing the Golden Flower Hotel, Xian.

Gilles Stellardo has been named General Manager for the Mercer Hotel. He had previously served withInterContinental Hotels Group in Nice and as General Manager for the 1835 White Palm Hotel.

The Belize Ocean Club has named West Tucker General Manager. For the past seven years, he had served as General Manager of the Century South Beach.

Candice Cancino has been appointed General Manager for the High Line Hotel in New York. She is the former Director of Operations at the Milford Hotel and Hotel Manager at the Normandy Hotel.

Chas Reece has been named General Manager of the Bonaventure Resort & Spa in Fort Lauderdale. He was previously General Manager of the Eaglewood Resort & Spa, located near Chicago.

Patrick Horstmann has become General Manager for the W New York – Downtown. He is the former General Manager of the Roger, the Nolitan and the Hotel Gansevoort, all in New York.

David Lemmond is now in San Francisco at the Hotel Vitale as General Manager. For the past two years, he had been overseeing the Standard New York. He is the former General Manager at the Standard Downtown Los Angeles, the Chamberlain and the Standard Miami.

The Hotel Max in Seattle has appointed Kevin Scott General Manager. He was most recently at the Galleria Park Hotel in San Francisco as Director of Operations.

Gary Thulander has been made President and General Manager of the Woodstock Inn & Resort in Vermont. He is the former General Manager at the Equinox Resort & Spa, Manchester Village and the Anse Chastanet and Jade Mountain resorts in Saint Lucia.

Marylouise Fitzgibbon has joined the W Fort Lauderdale as General Manager, replacing Scott Brooks. Fitzgibbon was previously the General Manager of the W Atlanta Buckhead.

Gordon Overing has returned to the Bitter End Yacht Club to take on the post of Executive Managing Director. He had previously spent 16 years at the resort before leaving in 2006. He is the former General Manager for Sir Richard Branson’s private retreat, Necker Island.

Mahesh Reddy has been appointed General Manager of the Platinum Hotel & Spa in Las Vegas. He had previously served as General Manager of the Westin Columbus in Ohio.

Scott Kreeger has been appointed President and Chief Operating Officer of the Revel Casino Hotel. Kreeger previously served in various operational and senior leadership roles within Station Casinos and Fertitta Entertainment.

Gilles Gonzalez has been appointed Managing Director at NH Hoteles Latin America in Mexico City. He is the former Senior Vice President of Franchising with Accor.

Diego Heredia is now in Washington, D.C. as Regional Director of Operations for Modus Hotels and Area General Manager for the Avenue Suites and the River Inn. He is the former General Manager at the Avalon in Beverly Hills and the Viceroy Palm Springs.

Yvette Thomas-Henry has returned to the Four Seasons New York to take over as Hotel Manager for Sam Ioannidis who is now the General Manager at the Four Seasons Baku. Thomas-Henry was previously at the hotel as Director of Rooms before taking on the role of Hotel Manager at the Four Seasons Washington, D.C.

Rolf Lippuner takes over from Thomas-Henry with his promotion to Hotel Manager at the Four Seasons Washington, D.C. He had joined the hotel last year as Director of Rooms after serving as Director of Residences at the Four Seasons Nevis.

Sebastian Hinsch has been appointed Hotel Manager of the Ritz-Carlton Chicago, taking over from Anthony Tyler who is now at the Four Seasons Riyadh. Hinsch was most recently with the Four Seasons Hualalai as Director of Food and Beverage. He previously served in food and beverage roles with the Four Seasons Houstonand the Four Seasons Jackson Hole.

Afonso Cunha has been named Resort Manager at the Four Seasons Resort and Residences Whistler. He was most recently with the Four Seasons Maui as Director of Rooms. He is the former Director of Rooms of the Four Seasons Las Colinas, Dallas.

Ricardo Mendes has been promoted at the Mondrian South Beach to Hotel Manager. He had joined the resort last year as . He is the former Director of Food and Beverage at Canyon Ranch in Miami and Little Palm Island.

Nicolas Black has been appointed Hotel Manager at the Mondrian Los Angeles. He was most recently the Front Office Manager at Delano. He had previously spent five years in various posts at the Shore Club in Miami Beach.

Nicole Sinclair has joined Faena House in Miami as Director of Residences. She was most recently with Club Quarters in New York as Operations and Guest Services Manager. Sinclair also served as Hotel Manager at the St. Regis Bora Bora.

The Fairmont San Jose has appointed Lisa Ares Director of Operations. She was most recently with the Fairmont Royal York as Rooms Division Director.

Tina Fleming has been appointed Director of Operations for the Mystic Marriott Hotel & Spa in Groton. She was most recently Regional Hotel Director for the Waterford Hotel Group.

Dani Elhachem has been named Senior Vice President of Operations for Hersha Hospitality. Elhachem was most recently the Vice President of Operations at Denihan Hospitality Group.

The Four Seasons Orlando has named Warren Hochreiter Area Director of Finance. He has been with the company since 1999, most recently as Area Director of Finance at the Four Seasons Sydney.

Elizabeth Carrier has joined Lyfe Kitchen as Director, Franchise Operations. She was most recently with theWaldorf Astoria Chicago as Director of Food and Beverage. Carrier is the former Director of Food and Beverage at the Park Hyatt Chicago and Assistant Director of Food and Beverage with the Four SeasonsChicago and the Ritz-Carlton Chicago.

Stéphane Lacroix has moved as Director of Food and Beverage from the Hotel Bel-Air to sister property theBeverly Hills Hotel, taking over from Tim Gustie who is now in Hawaii. Lacroix is the former General Manager at (the late) Gilt in the New York Palace and served for ten years as Director of Wine for the Ritz-Carlton San Francisco.

Cornell graduate Sabato Sagaria is now in New York with Union Square Hospitality Management as Chief Restaurant Officer. For the past six years, he had been in Aspen as Director of Food and Beverage at the Little Nell. He is the former Wine Director for the Inn at Little Washington.

Marlene Leslie has joined Virgin Hotels in New York as Vice President Food and Beverage. She was most recently overseeing food and beverage for the Standard New York. She is the former General Manager of Morimoto in New York.

The Four Seasons Orlando has named Stephen Wancha Director of Food and Beverage. He was most recently in the same role with the Four Seasons St. Louis.

Bosther Kusich has been promoted to Director of Food and Beverage and joined the Ritz-Carlton Phoenix. He most recently served as Assistant Director of Food and Beverage at the Ritz-Carlton Kapalua.

Omar Gutierrez has been named Vice President of Restaurants-US at Hakkasan. He is the former Executive Director Operations with Angel Management Group and Director of Food and Beverage for Mandalay Bay.

Anthony Darroman joined the Mandarin Oriental Atlanta as Director of Food and Beverage. He was most recently the Director of Food and Beverage at the Mandarin Oriental Sanya.

Olivier Rassinoux has joined the Ace Hotel Downtown in Los Angeles as Director of Food and Beverage. He was most recently the General Manager at DBGB Kitchen and Bar in New York.

John Hanrahan has been named Director of Food and Beverage for the Chaminade Resort & Spa in Santa Cruz. He was most recently the General Manager of LB Steak Santana Row in San Jose.

El Conquistador Resort & Las Casitas Village has named Al Amengual Director of Food and Beverage. He was most recently the Director of Food and Beverage at the W Resort and Spa Vieques.

David Sher is the new Director of Food and Beverage at the Fairmont Chicago, Millennium Park. Previously, he was the General Manager of the Olive Leaf Restaurant at the Sheraton Hotel & Towers in Tel Aviv.

Ronit Livneh is now the Director of Procurement and Resources with the David Myers Group in Los Angeles. The Cornell graduate joined the group in 2011 as Regional Operations Manager. She previously spent seven years with the Hillstone Restaurant Group.

Michael Laporte has been named Vice President of Operations with the David Myers Group. He was most recently the Operations Manager at the Angel Management Group in Las Vegas.

Kirk Coleman has been appointed Director of Corporate Information Technology at Benchmark Hospitality. He joined the company in 2011 as Information Technology Manager. He is the former Regional Texas Director of Information Technology for Destination Hotels & Resorts.

Andrea Evans has moved to Montage Hotels & Resorts as Corporate Director of Human Resources. She is the former Director of Human Resources with the Kor Group and transitioned to Assistant Vice President, Human Resources with the Viceroy Hotel Group.

Ron Emler has moved as Director of Human Resources to the soon-to-open Four Seasons Orlando. He was most recently in the same position at the Four Seasons Resorts Lana’i.

Amy Heuer has moved as Director of Human Resources to the London West Hollywood. For the past five years, she had served in the same role for the Mondrian Los Angeles.

David Horton is the new Chief Marketing Officer for Las Vegas Sands. Previously, he was the Global Head of Marketing for Hilton Hotels and Resorts.

Benchmark Hospitality has named Andy FinnVice President, Group Sales. He is the former Vice President, Sales and Marketing, for Canyons Resort in Park City, Utah.

Kathy van Vechten has joined the Langham Huntington in Pasadena as Director of Sales and Marketing, replacingRebecca Huetter who went to Shutters on the Beach and Casa del Mar. She had previously overseen sales and marketing at the Four Seasons Las Vegas, and the Four Seasons Maui.

Joe LaBreche has been named Director of Marketing for the Four Seasons Resorts Lana’i. Since 2010, he had been with the Four Seasons Nevis as Director of Marketing, based in New York. He had previously overseen sales and marketing for both the Four Seasons Chicago and the Ritz-Carlton Chicago. He is the former Director of Sales and Marketing for the Hard Rock Hotel Chicago, and Director of Operations at Mack Hospitality in Michigan.

The Graham Georgetown has appointed Erich Hosbach Director of Sales and Marketing. He had previously served as Director of Public Relations and Business Development at the Mandarin Oriental Washington, D.C.before taking on his most recent role working with the American Embassy in Rome.

Tom Puntel has been appointed Director of Sales and Marketing at the Park Hyatt Beaver Creek, taking over fromScott Gubrud who is now with the Four Seasons Vail. Puntel was most recently the Director of Sales and Marketing at the Hyatt Regency Denver Tech Center.

Benjamin Sinclair has joined the Faena District in Miami as Vice President Sales and Marketing. He was most recently overseeing sales and marketing at the Mandarin Oriental New York. He is the former Director of Sales and Marketing at the St. Regis New York.

Azadeh Hawkins has joined Pink Taco as Chief Marketing Officer. For the past ten years, she had been the Vice President, Brand Management and Marketing Communication, with the Viceroy Hotel Group.

Scott Evans is now in Bermuda as and Marketing for the Fairmont Hamilton Princess. For the past six years, he had served as Vice President Sales and Marketing for ETC Hotels in Santa Monica. He is the former Director of Sales and Marketing at the Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel and the Ritz-Carlton Lake Las Vegas.

Virgil Napier has joined the Rosewood Baha Mar as Director of Sales and Marketing. For the past two years, he had been overseeing sales and marketing at the W Retreat and Spa Vieques. He is the former Director of Sales and Marketing for the Viceroy Anguilla.

Colin Sanderson has been named Director of Sales and Marketing at Eagle Ridge Resort & Spa. He was previously the Senior Vice President of Sales Americas for BridgeStreet Corporate Housing Residences and Suites.

Janelle Schwartz has been appointed Vice President of Sales and Marketing for M&R Hotel Management. She is the former Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Stonebridge Companies, and Director of Sales and Marketing for the Hilton Waikiki Beach.

Jack Schmidt has been named Director of Sales and Marketing at Washington Duke Inn & Golf Club. He is the former General Manager of the Carolina Inn and Regional Director of Sales and Marketing for Destination Hotels and Resorts.

Dan Sparacino has returned to Santa Monica to join the Méridien Delfina as Director of Sales and Marketing. He had previously overseen sales and marketing for the Sheraton Delfina. Most recently, he was the Director of Sales and Marketing for the Westin Pasadena. He is the former Director of Sales and Marketing for the Sheraton Crystal City and the Sheraton Annapolis.

Peter Falke has been named Director of Sales for both the Four Seasons Chicago and Ritz-Carlton Chicago. He was most recently serving as Associate Director of Sales, overseeing the Four Seasons Denver and the Four Seasons Vail.

Elodie Habasque has been appointed Director of Sales and Marketing for the Hotel MdR in Marina del Rey. She was most recently the Assistant Director of Sales at the Sofitel Los Angeles. She is the former Director of Business Travel Sales at the Millennium Biltmore Downtown Los Angeles and Group Sales Manager for the Hilton Checkers.

Melissa Price Belluomini has been appointed Director of Sales and Marketing at Hyatt Regency Santa Clara. She was most recently the Director of Sales at the Oakland Marriott City Center and Oakland Convention Center.

Mary Reid has been made Executive Director National Sales for Loews Hotels in Chicago. She is the former Director of Regional Sales-Midwest Region at KSL Resorts.

Nancy Getlan has joined the Maybourne Hotel Group as Director of Sales, The Americas. She is the former Director of Global Sales, The Americas and Europe, for Peninsula Hotels.

Elyse Graver has been appointed Regional Sales Manager at Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort & Spa based in Texas. She had previously worked as a Corporate Sales Manager for Bristol Hotels for nine years.

Grace Nungesser has been appointed Director of Sales at the NYLO Las Colinas. She was most recently a Sales Manager at the Omni Mandalay at Las Colinas.

Traci Meyer has been promoted to Director of Sales at the One Ocean Resort & Spa in Florida. She joined the resort for the opening in 2005 and was most recently serving as Associate Director of Sales.

Crystal Laurence has been named Associate Director of Sales at the Viceroy New York. She is the former Director of Business Travel and Entertainment Sales with the Plaza Hotel.

Christine Presti has joined the Viceroy New York as Director of Group Sales. She was most recently the Director, Corporate and Incentive Sales, at the Plaza Hotel.

Alan Palmer is now in San Diego at Rancho Valencia as Director of Group Sales. He was most recently serving as Director of Sales at the Peaks Resort and Spa in Telluride.

Diane Black has moved to the Viceroy New York as Director of Entertainment Sales. She was most recently in a similar role for the New York Palace. Black had previously overseen entertainment sales with the Jumeirah Essex House, the Pierre and the Mondrian in Los Angeles.

Olivia Shea has been named Senior Group Sales Manager for the Sofitel Los Angeles. She is the former Group Sales Manager at the Hilton Universal City and the InterContinental Los Angeles Century City.

Gigi Cabrera has been named National Account Manager at the Loews Hollywood. She is the former Corporate Group Sales Director at Canyon Ranch. Cabrera had previously served in various positions at the St. Regis Monarch Beach Resort, La Costa Resort and Spa and La Quinta Resort & Club.

Josh Baker has been appointed Sales Manager at the Lodge and Spa at Callaway Gardens in Georgia. He had previously served in sales positions for the Sheraton Atlanta, the Crowne Plaza Atlanta Perimeter NW and theDoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Atlanta ­ Buckhead.

The Trump SoHo has appointed Monica Bewak Director of Catering and Conference Services. She is the former Associate Director of Catering at the Beverly Wilshire.

Corey Conrad has joined SBE as Director of Special Events. Most recently, he was the Director of Catering at theLondon West Hollywood. He is the former Director of Sales and Marketing with Harry Morton Holdings.

Jackie Allee has been promoted to Director of Communications at Benchmark Hospitality. She joined the company in 2007 as Marketing Coordinator.

Mike Wehrle has joined the Peninsula Chicago as Executive Chef, taking over the spot left vacant when Kai Lermen joined Faena in Miami. Wehrle was most recently the Executive Chef at the Peninsula Bangkok.

Billy Boyle has been named Executive Chef for the James Hotel Miami. He was most recently the Chef at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Las Vegas. He is the former Executive Chef for LifeWorks Restaurant Group.

James McDevitt has been named Corporate Executive Chef at the Bohlsen Restaurant Group. He is the former Executive Chef with the Four Restaurant Group and Executive Sous Chef at Le Cirque in New York.

Eric Cousin has been appointed Corporate Executive Chef for Waterloo Investment. For the past two years, he had served as Executive Chef for Beaches Resort Turks and Caicos.

James Kent has been promoted to Executive Chef of the Nomad. He was most recently Chef de Cuisine at sister establishment, Eleven Madison Park.

Chris Flint has taken over for Kent as Chef de Cuisine of Eleven Madison Park. Flint previously worked as the Executive Sous Chef of the Nomad.

The Grand Hyatt New York has appointed Matthew Garelick Chef de Cuisine of New York Central Bar and Kitchen. He was most recently with the Andaz Wall Street, where he served as Sous Chef for three years.

The W San Francisco has named Jason Rea Executive Chef. Most recently, he served as Executive Sous Chef ofMina Group’s RN74 and as Sous Chef of Michael Mina San Francisco.

Jasper Schneider has joined the Cuisinart Resort Anguilla as Executive Chef, replacing Daniel Le Guénan who had been there since 2009. Schneider is the former Executive Chef at Hudson, the Ritz-Carlton St. Thomas and the Palms on Turks and Caicos.

The Ritz-Carlton Phoenix has appointed Garry O’Connor Executive Chef. For the past six years, he had served as Chef of Periwinkle at the Ritz-Carlton Grand Cayman.

The Conrad Miami has appointed Virgile Brandel Executive Chef. Brandel was most recently the Executive Sous Chef at the Eden Roc Hotel in Miami Beach.

Timothy Ralphs has been named Executive Chef at the Cheyenne Mountain Resort. He is the former opening Executive Chef for the Aloft Hotel in Cupertino.

El Conquistador Resort & Las Casitas Village has named Donovan Campbell Executive Chef. He was most recently with Celebrity Cruises as Executive Chef aboard the Celebrity Equinox.

Gordon Ramsay at The London in New York has appointed of Michael Wurster Chef de Cuisine. The CIA graduate was most recently the Executive Chef at ICON in the W New York – The Court. He is the former Chef de Cuisine at Lutèce.

The Chefs Club in Aspen has named Sylvain Marrari Executive Pastry Chef. He was most recently the Executive Pastry Chef for the Setai Miami.

Jerome Jeannest has returned to Las Vegas as Front Services Manager at the Downtown Grand Hotel & Casino. He had previously held concierge roles at the Palazzo and the Cosmopolitan before taking on his most recent role at the SLS at Beverly Hills as Director of Services.

The Mandarin Oriental Atlanta has named Kijean Dill Guest Relations Manager. Dill had previously worked atElbow Beach in Bermuda as well as the Mandarin Oriental Washington, D.C. in the same capacity.

EUROPE

Frank Fiskers has returned as Chief Executive Officer to Scandic Hotels. He had previously served in the same role from 2007-2010. Most recently, he was Chief Executive Officer of the Swedish Cooperative Union.

Lorenzo Amaglio is now in Moscow as General Manager for the Hotel Barvikha. He was most recently the opening General Manager at the Selman Palace in Marrakech. Amaglio was previously the Hotel Manager at the Hotel Majestic in Rome.

Gerold Held has returned to St. Petersburg to take on the role of General Manager at the Hotel Astoria. He is taking over from Walter Neumann, who is now in Moscow as Chief Executive Officer of Azimut Hotels. Held had previously served as General Manager at the Corinthia Nevskij Palace Hotel in St. Petersburg and was most recently overseeing the Grand Hotel Taschenbergpalais, Kempinski Dresden.

Geraldine Dobey has joined the Mandarin Oriental Hôtel du Rhône in Geneva as Hotel Manager, reporting to General Manager Lars Wagner. Dobey is the former General Manager at the Hilton Arc de Triomphe and theHilton Paris.

Michael Posch has been named General Manager for the Regent Porto Montenegro due to open next summer. He was most recently serving as General Manager at the Leonardo Royal Hotel Berlin Alexanderplatz.

José Asenjo Vera has been appointed General Manager at La Manga Club in Spain. He was most recently overseeing Warner Park in Madrid.

Bernadette Gilligan has been appointed General Manager at the Hilton London Wembley. She was most recently the General Manager at the Hilton London Kensington.

Roberto Payer has been appointed General Manager at the Waldorf Astoria Amsterdam, set to open in early 2014. He is the former General Manager of the Hilton Amsterdam.

Federico Ciampi has been appointed General Manager at the Glasshouse in Edinburgh. He had previously served in management roles with Westmont Hospitality Group and Thistle Hotels.

Corinthia Hotels has promoted Roderick Micallef to Vice President of Operations for Malta and mainland Europe. He was most recently the General Manager of the Corinthia Hotel Lisbon.

As of January 1, Omer Acar will be promoted from his current position of General Manager at the Royal Monceau Raffles Paris, to Corporate Director – Asset Management, Western Europe for Katara Hospitality. Prior to joining the Royal Monceau in 2011, Acar was the General Manager of the Ritz Paris.

German Broggi has joined the Hyatt Regency Paris Etoile as Director of Food and Beverage. He was most recently with the Andaz Amsterdam Prinsengracht as . He is the former Director of Food and Beverage for the Park Hyatt Washington, D.C.

The Savoy in London has promoted James Pare to Executive Chef succeeding Bernhard Mayer. Pare was most recently Head Chef at the Savoy’s River Restaurant after joining the hotel in 2011 as Banquet Chef. He is the former Chef de Cuisine at the Fairmont Olympic Hotel.

The Grand Hotel Kronenhof Pontresina in St. Moritz has appointed Fabrizio Piantanida Executive Chef. He was most recently with the Hotel Vitznauerhof on Lake Lucerne as Executive Chef.

Stéphane Simond is now in Bucharest as Executive Chef for the Epoque Hotel. For the past five years, he had been in Jakarta as Executive Chef at Restaurant Cassis.

ASIA AND THE PACIFIC

Mark Lettenbichler has been named President of Regent Hotels. For the past 23 years, he had been with the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, most recently as General Manager of the Ritz-Carlton Tokyo. He is the former General Manager for the Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong and the Ritz-Carlton Beijing Financial Street.

No longer a temporary role, Takuya Kishi has been appointed General Manager at the Four Seasons Marunouchi. Since June, he had stepped away from his role as Director of Rooms at the Four Seasons Kuda Huraa to assist in Tokyo. He has previously served the Four Seasons Marunouchi as Director of Rooms and Director of Human Resources.

Quinton Lu has been promoted to Hotel Manager at the Four Seasons Hong Kong, taking over from Peter Draminsky who is now at the Four Seasons Hangzhou. Lu was most recently serving the hotel as Executive Assistant Manager, Rooms, after holding the post of Hotel Manager for the Four Seasons Shanghai and the Four Seasons Shanghai Pudong.

The Four Seasons Singapore has appointed Sunil Narang Hotel Manager. He has been with the company since 1996, most recently as Hotel Manager at the Four Seasons Las Vegas. Narang had previously held rooms positions at the Four Seasons Scottsdale and the Four Seasons Maui.

Alex Ahluwalia has been appointed General Manager for the Ritz-Carlton Kapalua, taking over from Tom Donovan who is now overseeing the Grand Wailea on Maui. Ahluwalia is the former General Manager at the JW Marriott Starr Pass Resort & Spa.

Guenter Gebhard has been appointed General Manager at the One&Only Hayman Island. He was most recently with the Mazagan Beach Resort as Resort Manager. He is the former Vice President Food and Beverage atAtlantis The Palm and Hotel Manager at the St. Regis Hotel & Residences Bangkok.

Hard Rock Hotels has named Andrew Lee to the post of Asia Pacific Regional Director-Hotel Operations. He is the former General Manager of the Hard Rock Hotel at City of Dreams in Macau.

Rudolf Tröstler has been appointed General Manager for the Hilton Pattaya in Thailand. He was most recently the General Manager at the Hilton Colombo in Sri Lanka.

Rudy Oretti has been named Senior Vice President Resort Operations for Louis XIII opening in Macau in 2016. For the past three years he had been at the Banyan Tree Macau as opening General Manager. Oretti is also the former General Manager of the Banyan Tree Bali. The 230-room “boutique” Louis XIII will include an outpost of the Michelin Three-Starred Vivarois and a top suite priced at $130,000.00 per night.

Stéphane Masse has been named General Manager at Le Méridien Cyberport. He was most recently the General Manager at the Sheraton Guilin. Masse had previously served as General Manager for the Westin Dhaka.

Robert Lagerwey has been appointed Regional Vice President of Operations for Capella Hotel Group, Asia. He was formerly with the Capella Singapore as General Manager.

Alejandro Helbling has joined the Capella Singapore as General Manager, taking over from Robert Lagerwey. The Lausanne graduate is the former General Manager at the Ritz-Carlton Reserve Dorado Beach, the Bulgari Resort Bali and the Hotel Villa Padierna Thermas de Carratraca Hotel & Spa in Marbella.

Stephan Winkler is the new General Manager at Anantara Bali Uluwatu. He is the former General Manager for theSheraton Hua Hin Resort & Spa, the Westin Pune Koregaon Park and the Westin Macau.

Dean Nakasone has been named General Manager of the Outrigger Reef on Waikiki Beach. He was most recently the General Manager of the Holiday Inn Waikiki Beachcomber. Nakasone is a former General Manager of theWaikiki Parc Hotel, Halekulani’s sister property.

The Anantara Hua Hin Resort & Spa has appointed Thomas Barguil General Manager. He was most recently the General Manager of The Residence Maldives.

Shantha de Silva has been appointed General Manager at the InterContinental Singapore, while remaining IHG’s Director of Operations for Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines. He has been with the company since 1982, working in Cambodia, Indonesia and Singapore.

Lance Ourednik has been named General Manager at the Westin Singapore. Most recently, he opened the Westin Mumbai Garden City.

Reto Klauser has been appointed General Manager at the Shangri-La Kuala Lumpur. He was most recently the General Manager for the Makati Shangri-La in Manila. He had previously overseen the Shangri-La Guangzhou, the Traders Hotel Kuala Lumpur and Shangri-La’s Rasa Ria Resort, Kota Kinabalu.

Jon Bourbaud has been appointed General Manager at the Bagan Lodge in Myanmar. He had previously overseen the MGallery La Veranda Resort on Phu Quoc Island, the Novotel Phan Thiet and the Sofitel Dalat Palace.

Irra Malik has been promoted to General Manager at the Alila Villas Soori in Bali. She joined the resort in 2009 as Resident Manager.

Alice Mafaity has been appointed Executive Assistant Manager at the Jumeirah Himalayas Hotel in Shanghai. She has been with the company since 2007, most recently as Director of Food and Beverage for the Mina A’ Salam Hotel, in the Madinat Jumeirah Resort Dubai.

Vinod Narayan has been named Director of Food and Beverage at the Four Seasons Bangkok taking over fromReto Moser who has transferred as Director of Food and Beverage to the Four Seasons Koh Samui. Narayan was most recently with the Ritz-Carlton Chicago as Director of Food and Beverage. He is the former Assistant Director of Food and Beverage at the Four Seasons New York.

Nicolas Dubort has been promoted at the Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong to Director of Food and Beverage. He joined the hotel in 2012 as Assistant Director of Food and Beverage. Dubort had previously served in food and beverage management posts for the Dorchester Collection at the Hotel Bel-Air, the Beverly Hills Hotel and theDorchester London.

Daniel Solombrino has been promoted to Director of Food and Beverage and moved to the InterContinental Hanoi Westlake. He was most recently with the InterContinental Hanoi Landmark 72 as Assistant Director of Food and Beverage. Solombrino had previously served in food and beverage posts with the InterContinental Regency Bahrain and the Crowne Plaza Kuwait.

Kelly Teo is now in China as Director of Sales and Marketing for the Ritz-CarltonShenzhen. He was most recently overseeing sales and marketing for the Ritz-Carlton Marina del Rey. Teo had previously served in sales positions for the Ritz-Carlton San Francisco and the InterContinental Mark Hopkins.

Nathan Decker has been named Director of Sales and Marketing at the St. Regis Princeville. He was most recently the Director of Group Sales for Starwood Resorts of Maui. He is the former Director of National Accounts at theRitz-Carlton Kapalua and Senior Sales Manager for the Park Hyatt Los Angeles.

David Martinez has been appointed Director of Sales and Marketing at the Hyatt Regency Waikiki, taking over from Brad Mettler who is now Director of Sales and Marketing at the Grand Hyatt New York. Martinez most recently served as Director of Sales and Marketing at the Hyatt Regency Jersey City.

Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas has appointed Julia Gajcak Vice President Marketing and Communications. She is the former Vice President Corporate Communications and Global Marketing for Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts, Vice President Marketing and Communications at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company and Regional Director of Public Relations for Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, Asia Pacific.

Martin Frost has been named Executive Chef of the Four Seasons Shanghai. He is the former Executive Chef at the Four Seasons Nevis, the Four Seasons Biltmore Santa Barbara and the Four Seasons Sharm El Sheikh.

Christoph Trocker has been appointed Executive Chef at the Hyatt Regency Hua Hin. He is the former chef with the Grand Hyatt Shenzhen and the Hyatt on the Bund, Shanghai.

Patrick Callarec is now in Bandung as Executive Chef at the Royal Tulip. For the past three years, he had been on O’ahu at the Disney Aulani Resort and Spa as Executive Chef.

Tobias Pfister has been appointed Executive Chef at the Jumeirah Himalayas Hotel. He had previously spent eight years as Executive Sous Chef at sister property the Burj Al Arab in Dubai.

The Paresa Resort in Phuket has named Luca Mancini Executive Chef. He had previously served as Chef at theJW Mariott Phuket and most recently at Amanpuri Phuket.

Kristen Whyly has been promoted to Director of Rooms at the Four Seasons Maui. Joining the resort in 2011 as Assistant Director of Rooms, Whyly had previously served in rooms management positions with the Four Seasons Great Exuma and the Four Seasons Koh Samui.

MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA

Don Elliot has been appointed Chief Executive Officer at Warwick International Hotels Africa in Johannesburg. Elliot was previously with Starwood Hotels & Resorts for 30 years.

Greg Pirkle has been named General Manager at the Four Seasons Bahrain. He was most recently in the same position for the Four Seasons Riyadh at Kingdom Centre. Pirkle is the former Resort Manager at the Four Seasons Great Exuma, the Four Seasons Hualalai and General Manager at the Four Seasons Langkawi.

SKAI Holdings in Dubai has appointed Amit Arora Chief Executive Officer, Hospitality. He was most recently Chief Sales and Marketing Officer for Emaar Hospitality Group.

Rishi Kapoor has been promoted to Senior Vice President International Development for MGM Hospitality based in Dubai. He was most recently serving the company as Vice President of Development-India.

Tarek Aouini has been appointed Hotel Manager at the Emirates Grand Hotel in Dubai. He is the former Director of Rooms for the Dusit Thani Dubai.

Anthony Borantin has joined the Ritz-Carlton Herzlya in Israel as Director of Food and Beverage. A former Hyattman, he oversaw food and beverage for the Park Hyatt Vendome, the Grand Hyatt Berlin and the Hyatt RegencyJerusalem.

Michiel Lugt has been named Director of Food and Beverage for the Chedi Muscat. He was most recently in a similar post at Hotel De L’Europe in Amsterdam.

Sameh Shawkat has been appointed Regional Director of Sales and Marketing, Middle East and Africa, at Dusit International in Dubai. He is the former Regional Director of Sales at Hilton Hotels in Egypt, Regional Director of Sales Middle East with Hyatt Hotels in Saudi Arabia and Executive Assistant Manager, Sales and Marketing, for theGrand Hyatt Doha.

Adam Levay has been named Executive Chef at the Four Seasons Sharm El Sheikh. He is the former Executive Sous Chef at the Four Seasons Gresham Palace, and, most recently, the Four Seasons Baku.

Stephen Wright has been appointed Executive Chef of Al Qasr and Dar Al Masyaf at Madinat Jumeirah in Dubai. He was most recently serving as Executive Chef at the Star in Sydney.

Barbara Fernandez has been appointed Food and Beverage Manager at Kempinski Hotel Mall of The Emirates in Dubai. She was most recently Executive Assistant Manager Food and Beverage at the Hotel Las Amèricas Resortin Columbia.

Source: http://www.4hoteliers.com

Hospitality and Tourism Jobs on the Rise

According to SEEK managing director Joe Powell, the employment forecast for hospitality and tourism jobs will see a 29 percent increase in available roles from May to November 2013.

“Jobs within Australia’s hospitality and tourism sector naturally fluctuate to match seasonal demand. However, year-on-year data from the ‘SEEK Hospitality and Tourism Job Ad Data Report’ has revealed a significant improvement in the number of hospitality and tourism roles available Australia-wide,” Powell said.

According to Tourism Australia’s November 2013 Quarterly Update, opportunities across Australia can be attributed to the six percent increase in international travellers to the country.

In addition, the Q3 2013 Careers Hospitality Hiring Report indicates that there was a 29.5 percent year-on-year increase in the investment of new rooms for hotels and resorts across Australia.

The biggest year-on-year growth was seen in Victoria, with a 37 percent half yearly overall increase in jobs due to Melbourne’s reputation as the country’s most popular overnight destination for interstate travellers, receiving 4.5 million visitors each year as indicted by the Tourism Victoria Annual Report, 2012-13

“Victoria has led the way with an 86 per cent year-on-year improvement in reservation roles, 39 per cent increase in front office and guest services roles and 29 per cent increase in management focused positions,” Powell said. “As a state, Victoria offers the best opportunity for those looking for a more senior position, whether short or long term.”

Queensland has also seen an increase in job opportunities, with a 47 percent increase year-on-year for travel agent positions along with a 21 percent increase for management roles and a 17 percent rise in front office and guest service roles.

In addition, New South Wales also saw an increase across the board with a growing number of travel agent roles available as well as wholesale and inbound group booking roles on the rise.

Peter Davis, managing director of hospitality recruitment specialists, Frontline Recruitment Group, said that though the opportunities for employment are increasing, employers are still looking to recruit top tier talent.

“A lot of new hotels and restaurants have opened up, particularly in Brisbane, and are now advertising for hospitality roles, such as chefs. Despite the ongoing hospitality skills shortage, employers are actually being quite choosy,” says Davis said.

Yet Davis added that staff are equally as wary to leave their positions for a new employer.

“While many hospitality staff are cautious, just as many are still highly mobile with workers following the next holiday season or hotspot. They watch the market closely to identify where the next potential employment opportunities are,” Davis said. “Finding the best employment opportunities is especially important for those hospitality workers looking to secure a sought after permanent position, as only one in five short-term contracts will turn into long-term roles.”

Source: http://www.hospitalitymagazine.com.au