Three hospitality companies have announced new appointments today. Here are the latest names to know.
HVMG
Atlanta-based private hotel investment, ownership and management company Hospitality Ventures Management Group promoted two new team members to its its Revenue Excellence team. Melissa Arana has been named VP of revenue strategy, and Denise Hanas has been named corporate director of marketing strategy.
In her newly created role, Arana will oversee the revenue strategy team for the entire company. She joined HVMG in 2011 as an assistant general manager at the Doubletree DFW Airport North. During her tenure, she progressively has taken on bigger roles within the company, including regional director of revenue management and corporate director of revenue strategy. Before joining HVMG, Arana worked several property-level positions at multiple Hilton family hotels. Arana earned her bachelor’s degree in general finance from Texas A&M International University.
Having joined HVMG’s RevX team in 2020 as a consultant, Hanas has led the company’s marketing efforts through the most challenging time in the industry’s history. In her newly created role, she will expand on her most recent consulting position with the company by overseeing the company’s hotel marketing strategy. Before starting her consultancy, Argent Strategic Marketing, Hanas spent nearly two decades with Marriott International in various marketing and e-commerce roles. She received her Bachelor of Science in mass communications from Boston University.
Indigo Road
The Indigo Road Hospitality Group appointed Zach Girgenti as director of outdoor experiences. Working closely with the company’s founder and chief visionary officer, Steve Palmer, and Larry Spelts, president of Indigo Road's Lodging & Lifestyle Adventures division, Girgenti will develop outdoor experiences for the guests at Indigo Road’s boutique hotels.
Before taking on his new role, Girgenti held the internal position of taskforce manager, where he traveled from property to property to provide support training and guidance. Previously, he served as the general manager of O-Ku Sushi in Charlotte, N.C., overseeing the restaurant's day-to-day operations. Earlier, Girgenti served as an opener for new restaurants, training new teammates and implementing helpful procedures for the teams. He began his career in hospitality as a server at O-Ku Sushi before moving on to Oak Steakhouse in the same position.
Resolute Road Hospitality
Third-party management company Resolute Road Hospitality appointed both Kevin J. O’Neil and Richard T. Sprecher VPs of business development. The two will be responsible for cultivating new client relationships and growing the company’s footprint throughout North America.
O’Neil joins the team with more than 25 years of experience in the hotel industry. Starting out in hotel operations, he has spent most of his career working in brand development. During his tenure, he sold more than 275 hotel franchises for 15 different brands in 36 states. More recently, O’Neil served as franchise development manager for the Rhino 7 Franchise Sales Organization, where he was part of a team that sold over 100 territories in 11 months. He graduated from Tufts University with a Bachelor of Science in civil engineering and is based in Charleston, S.C.
Sprecher most recently was VP of development for Meyer Jabara Hotels and VP of business development for Aimbridge Hospitality. Before working at Meyer Jabara, he spent 17 years at Choice Hotels International as director of franchise sales. Sprecher has sold more than 140 hotel management contracts and over 200 hotel franchise agreements. In addition, he established the Distressed Hotel Asset Division and obtained the company's first receivership assignment. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Stout with a Bachelor of Science in hotel and restaurant management and is based in Nashville.