A number of hospitality companies have named new executives in recent days. Here are a few names to know:
Outrigger Hospitality Group
To support its long-term growth strategy, Outrigger Hospitality Group has announced several key senior-level appointments:
As SVP operations, the Americas, Mike Shaff will lead both the hotels and resorts operations for The Americas region with a focus on creating positive guest experiences through programming, renovations and repositioning. Shaff also assumes oversight of the Hawaii Vacation Condos by Outrigger division.
Shaff joined Outrigger in 2017 as VP of operations for Waikīkī with a resume of nearly 15 years in hospitality with KSL, including director of asset management for KSL Resorts, specifically overseeing four resorts in Southern California and Arizona, each with different ownership and management complexities. He also served as the general manager of major luxury resorts in California, Florida and Arizona.
As SVP commercial strategy, Jenna Villalobos will develop the global commercial strategy for both corporate and property, focusing on the disciplines of revenue strategy, global contact center, customer relationship management, business intelligence and website technology.
Villalobos joined Outrigger in 2017 as VP of revenue management overseeing development of the revenue management strategy for all of Outrigger’s properties in Hawaii, Fiji, Thailand, Mauritius and Maldives. Before that role, Villalobos was corporate director of revenue optimization at KSL Resorts. She also held various revenue management positions with KSL Resorts, including corporate director of reservation sales as well as director of revenue and reservations management where she oversaw revenue strategy during renovations and repositioning.
As VP operations – APAC, Tony Pedroni oversees and directs all hotel operations in the Asia Pacific region. Pedroni first joined Outrigger in 2013 as general manager of the then-Outrigger Laguna Phuket Beach Resort. Before that, he was general manager for JW Marriott in Thailand; at the Renaissance in South Korea and the Waiohai Beach Club a Marriott Vacation Club Resort in Hawaii, as well as hotel management positions in Kuwait, the United Kingdom and Washington, DC.
Pedroni rejoined Outrigger last year as area general manager – Thailand when Outrigger became owner and manager of three Outrigger Resorts in Khao Lak, Surin Beach and Koh Samui.
As VP commercial strategy – APAC, Jason Zvatora returns to Outrigger and is based in Australia. Zvatora is responsible for driving APAC performance by leading and driving top-line revenue strategies, staying ahead of market trends and directing the property commercial teams.
In his time away from Outrigger, he was the chief operating officer at Next Story Group. While at Outrigger, Zvatora was corporate director, revenue management and distribution – APAC.
OTO Development
Kelly Haager has been promoted to regional vice president of sales at OTO Development, a newly created position. In her new role, Haager oversees OTO’s owned assets. She works with hotel and regional sales, marketing and revenue management teams to maximize profit potential at every property in the company’s owned portfolio; she is also responsible for sales task force deployment and the development of ancillary revenue opportunities.
Haager joined OTO Development in June 2006 in an on-property sales position and moved into corporate roles of increasing responsibility. During her 16-year tenure with OTO, Haager has been part of 30 successful hotel openings.
Before her career with OTO, Haager worked as an operations manager for Carlson Restaurants. She holds an undergraduate degree in hospitality management from Eastern Illinois University and an MBA from Roosevelt University-Chicago.
Foley Entertainment Group
Foley Entertainment Group has promoted Warren Nocon to EVP of the company’s hotel division, overseeing the strategic operations of Hotel Californian in Santa Barbara, Calif.; Hotel Les Mars in Healdsburg, Calif.; and Black Walnut Inn & Vineyard in Dundee, Ore. Nocon previously served as managing director at the Hotel Californian.
In his new role, Nocon will manage all aspects of the day-to-day operations including sales and marketing, revenue management, spa, guestrooms, food and beverage and catering of all three properties. He will also be responsible for acquisitions and growing the hotel portfolio for Foley Entertainment Group.
Northview Hotel Group
Northview Hotel Group, a privately held hotel investment and operating firm, has appointed Lisa Marchese the firm's first chief commercial officer. Marchese will be responsible for all revenue generation strategies across sales, marketing, distribution and analytics for Northview's properties.
Before Northview Hotel Group, Marchese was chief commercial officer at Fora, a London-based flexible workspace provider. She helped launch The Cosmopolitan Las Vegas and then joined The Venetian and The Palazzo Resort and Casino as chief marketing officer, responsible for brand and marketing as well as sales strategies. At Witkoff, as chief commercial officer, she oversaw the rebrand of the Park Lane in New York City, the opening of the West Hollywood Edition and the creation of the Park Santa Monica residential project.
The Ranch
Lifestyle company The Ranch has appointed Chris Reed VP of global sales. In his new role, he will lead sales efforts for the brand’s current programs in California and Italy, along with developing and implementing the sales strategy for future locations both in the United States and abroad. He will help identify and achieve sales targets in leisure, corporate, incentive and group travel while establishing new sales channels to build awareness and demand.
Reed recently helped launch Equinox Hotels’ flagship location in New York City’s Hudson Yards neighborhood. Before that, he spent nearly a decade with the Langham Hospitality Group.
Crestline Hotels & Resorts
Crestline Hotels & Resorts has promoted Daniel E. Johnson to SVP of taxes. Johnson joined Crestline Capital Corp. in 1998 as a senior tax manager, ultimately rising to VP of tax for Barceló Crestline and then moving over to Crestline Hotels & Resorts as VP of taxes in 2008.
In his role, Johnson leads the management of all aspects of taxation for Crestline, which has management contracts in 29 states that include income and franchise tax planning, compliance, accounting, audits as well as property and sales tax.
Johnson began in his career with Host Marriott Corp. in 1991. He is a certified public accountant, a certified management accountant and holds a Certificate of Financial Planning from Florida State University. He graduated cum laude from James Madison University with a Bachelor of Business Administration.
HP Hotels
HP Hotels has named Mark Alvarez, formerly a regional director of operations, to the newly established executive position of chief people & culture officer. Alvarez will be responsible for facilitating a broad range of internal and external engagement activities and programs such as team member recruiting, retention, training and satisfaction; and leadership development.
A nine-year veteran of the U.S. Army with more than 20 years of hospitality and hotel operations experience, Alvarez first joined HP Hotels as GM of Comfort Suites Northlake Charlotte in 2016 followed by regional director of operations. Before joining HP Hotels, Alvarez was a regional director of operations for the Merco Group.
Zeppelin Hospitality
The newly launched hospitality arm of Zeppelin Development has promoted industry veteran Antoine Moinard as its new director of hospitality. In his new role role, Moinard is overseeing Zeppelin Hospitality’s two upcoming Colorado property launches: the 31-cabin A-Frame Club in Winter Park and the 16-key Western Hotel & Spa in Ouray.
Moinard has been in a director role at The Source Hotel in Denver since 2018. He earned a BS in Business and Logistics in 2002, working at various hotels and restaurants, including the Club Med in Val d’Isere, France, and St Julien Hotel & Spa in Boulder, Colo., before joining The Source as food and beverage director.