Owners of The Ritz-Carlton, Portland, Ore., has named the hotel's guidance team. The 35-story, 251-room hotel in the city's downtown neighborhood will be led by GM and hospitality industry veteran Marie Browne as general manager and eight other executives, all of whom have worked extensively with The Ritz-Carlton and Marriott brands and most of whom have strong ties to Oregon. The hotel is slated to open this fall.
Browne, a 24-year veteran of Marriott International, will oversee the day-to-day operations of the property. Browne’s global experience includes roles in Asia Pacific, Caribbean and American regions. Her most recent role was general manager of both the Sheraton Bali Kuta Resort and Aloft Bali Kuta. She has over 16 years of experience with The Ritz-Carlton brand alone, working in multiple operations roles in Grand Cayman, Sarasota Florida and Tysons Corner, among others. She also served as the brand’s global room operations leader for over two years.
The Guidance Team
Jessie Malpica, director of operations, has 16 years of experience in the hospitality industry and nearly a decade of experience at Ritz-Carlton hotels, including The Ritz-Carlton San Juan, Dorado Beach, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve in Puerto Rico and The Ritz-Carlton, Tysons Corner, Va. In this role, he will work to develop departmental strategies and ensure the implementation of the Ritz-Carlton brand initiatives.
Stephanie Lapsley, director of sales and marketing, has 27 years of experience working with Marriott, including six years of experience with The Ritz-Carlton brand, having previously held leadership positions at The Ritz-Carlton Maui, Kapalua, in Hawaii and the Palace Hotel, a Luxury Collection Hotel in San Francisco, where she completed a full re-positioning of the historic hotel through its renovation in 2015-2016. She will lead the charge of sales and marketing while building a team.
Kyra Fleming, director of human resources, brings 11 years of experience with Marriott and four years of experience with The Ritz-Carlton brand. Fleming was most recently the assistant director of human resources for The Ritz-Carlton, Washington, D.C., and she has served in various roles at several properties, including W Washington, D.C.; St. Regis Deer Valley, Utah; and Westin Ka’anapali (Hawaii) Ocean Resort Villas as well as support at The Ritz-Carlton, Maui Kapalua. She will lead efforts in building, acquiring and retaining talent across all divisions and levels for The Ritz-Carlton, Portland.
Pedro Almeida, executive chef, will oversee all aspects of the hotel’s food and beverage program. He brings over 20 years of global culinary excellence to his role. Before joining The Ritz-Carlton, Portland, Chef Almeida spent over 10 years working at Penha Longa Resort in Portugal. He also served as head chef of Midori, which under his leadership and vision, became the only Japanese restaurant in Portugal to receive a Michelin star. At The Ritz-Carlton, Portland he drive the hotel’s food and beverage operations including the Pacific Northwest-inspired restaurant and lounge, Bellpine, and the soon-to-be-announced lobby bar.
Brandon Lovan, director of engineering, has over 20 years of experience at Marriott and 14 years of experience with the Ritz-Carlton brand in leading engineering operations. He has previously held senior roles at Portland (Ore.) Marriott Downtown Waterfront and The Ritz-Carlton, Bachelor Gulch in Avon, Colo. He will support the engineering team in projects for The Ritz-Carlton, Portland where he will be responsible for scheduling, budgeting and project management.
Gail Parkerson, director of finance, has 21 years of experience with Marriott and joined The Ritz-Carlton brand for the first time last year. She has served in a variety of financial roles across Marriott and most recently the Auberge Resorts in Napa of which she was part of the opening team. She will be responsible for guiding all financial operations for the hotel.
Douglas Laughton, director of revenue, has over 35 years of experience working with Marriott and joined The Ritz-Carlton brand last year. In this role, he will be responsible for the hotel’s top-line revenue strategy and is also the director of revenue management for Portland Marriott Downtown Waterfront. He has worked in a variety of management positions at Marriott properties throughout the Western United States including San Diego, Los Angeles and San Francisco.
Pádraic Mulcahy, director of residences, has 14 years of experience, most of which has been with The Ritz-Carlton brand among several properties and within various leadership roles. He began at The Ritz-Carlton's Hotel Arts, Barcelona, and has been a part of several opening teams including The Ritz-Carlton properties in Cairo, Egypt, Bangalore, India and South Florida. Most recently, Mulcahy was the director of residences at The West Hollywood (Calif.) Edition. Mulcahy will be responsible for the operational excellence of the 132-branded Residences, which includes oversight of the Association’s finances, governance, property management and resident engagement efforts.