InterContinental Hotels Group has named Karin Sheppard as the MD for the company’s European division. Sheppard, who will be based in the hotel group's global headquarters in Buckinghamshire, is responsible for driving the growth of IHG and the performance of its hotels in Europe.
Sheppard has more than 15 years of experience at IHG along with more than 20 years of international experience in the technology, telecommunications and hospitality industries. She served as COO of IHG's Australasia and Japan unit for three years prior to her promotion where she managed the operations and performance of the division's 70-hotel portfolio, led the launch of Holiday Inn Express within the market and signed a portfolio deal to expand the Even Hotels brand in Australasia. Sheppard was also appointed a board member of the Tourism Accommodation Australia and the Tourism & Transport Forum during this time.
She held numerous executive positions within the commercial, operations and brand development departments at IHG in Europe, Austalasia and the Middle East. These include COO for Asia, the Middle East and Africa and VP of brand management for Europe, the Middle East and Africa. “Europe is a fantastic continent, full of diversity and opportunity. The progress and achievements IHG has made in revitalizing our brands and launching new ones over the last few years has set us up well to make the most of this. I look forward to leading the team as we continue to deliver quality growth and brand excellence for our hotel owners and guests,” Sheppard said in a statement.
The hire comes as new IHG CEO Keith Barr institutes structural changes to achieve his goal of global growth.