Marcus Bernhardt is CEO of Steigenberger Hotels/Deutsche Hospitality. The company also named Ulrich Johannwille chief financial officer and director of human resources, taking over for Matthias Heck, who led the company on an interim basis as CEO and CFO. Both appointments take effect November 1.
Swiss-born Bernhardt joins the company from Europcar Mobility Group, where he was chief commercial officer, heading up global sales, e-commerce, revenue capacity management, B2B and B2C sales, partnerships and global franchise, customer support and quality management. Following the company’s stock market launch in 2015, he became managing director in 2017 for international business and influenced expansion through franchises and alliances. He previously held leadership positions in the hotel industry and worked for Steigenberger Hotels as executive vice president of Steigenberger Hotels & Resorts and group chief commercial officer.
Since 2006, Johannwille has held numerous senior roles at Condor Flugdienst. He spent more than 10 years as CFO and acted as the airline’s head of controlling from 2006 to 2009. His responsibility grew from 2013 to 2019 when he took charge of the finance divisions of the four international Thomas Cook Group Airlines. Prior to Condor, Johannwille spent six years as a management consultant with McKinsey & Co., ultimately acting as associate principal.
Starhotels appointed Francesco Brunetti managing director of the group. Prior to joining Starhotels, Brunetti held senior management positions with brands including Hilton, ITT Sheraton, Ciga and Starwood, overseeing the merger of the latter with Marriott International. Brunetti also has served in institutional positions, including on the board of Fondazione Fiera Milano and of the General Council of Federturismo Confindustria.
John Drugan is general manager of The Eddy Taproom & Hotel in Golden, Colorado, opening in summer 2021. Drugan joined the team after serving as general manager at The Historic Cavalier Hotel and Beach Club in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Prior to that, he was director of operations at the Madeline Hotel & Residences, an Auberge Resorts Property in Telluride, Colorado.
Avani Hotels & Resorts appointed general managers for six properties in Asia and the Middle East. Dennis Gordienko joined Avani Doc Let Resort in Doc Let Beach, Vietnam, slated to open early next year. He previously was GM at Vistana Penang Bukit Jambul in Penang, Malaysia. Beatrice Ellis joined Avani Hai Phong Harbour View Hotel in Hai Phong, Vietnam. Ellis was promoted from her previous role as resort manager at Anantara Hoi An Resort in Hoi An, Vietnam. Michael Robinson joined FCC Angkor by Avani in Siem Reap, Cambodia. Robinson departed Caravelle Saigon in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, where he was GM. Avani Sepang Goldcoast Resort in Sungai Pelek, Malaysia, welcomed Yogeswaran Veerasamy. He had been GM for M Social Hotel Singapore. BK Kwon joined Avani Central Busan in Busan, South Korea. Prior to joining the property, he was executive director, hotel business division for Haevichi Hotel & Resort Corp. Finally, Georges Farhat joined Avani View Dubai Hotel & Suites, opening later this year in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. He most recently was opening GM for the Crown Plaza Dubai Marina, also in Dubai.
Matt Huss is general manager and Jeff Ouradnik is director of sales and marketing of Margaritaville Resort Palm Springs in Palm Springs, California, slated to open this fall. Prior to joining the resort, Huss spent nearly three years as general manager at the Atlanta Marriott Perimeter Center in Atlanta. Previously, Huss served as GM at the Sheraton Memphis Downtown Hotel in Memphis, Tennessee, and at the Sheraton Agoura Hills Hotel and Renaissance Hotel in Agoura Hills, California. Ouradnik joined the Palm Springs property after recently serving as director of sales and marketing for the Hyatt Regency Austin in Austin, Texas, and held similar roles at other Hyatt-branded properties, including Hyatt Regency Mission Bay in San Diego and Hyatt Regency Lake Washington in Seattle.
Lotte Hotel Seattle appointed Alexander La Motte executive chef. Previously, La Motte was executive chef of Hotel Californian in Santa Barbara, California, where he helped create and implement the hotel’s dining concepts. He has also worked as executive chef of the Four Seasons Hotel Westlake Village in Westlake Village, California, and later at the Four Seasons Hotel San Francisco. Previously, he was sous chef at DB Brasserie in Las Vegas, where he helped his team achieve a Michelin star rating in 2007 and 2008.
Grand Hyatt Nashville, opening this October in Nashville, Tennessee, announced its food and beverage team. Paul Resch is director of F&B, bringing more than 20 years of hospitality experience, most recently with Grand Hyatt San Diego. Daniel Salomon is executive chef. Born in Casablanca, Morocco, Salomon opened his first restaurant just a few years after culinary school, parlaying that success into a coffee shop, steakhouse and multiple other restaurant concepts. Brian Owenby is executive sous chef, outlets. He spent the past 14 years at Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center in Nashville, overseeing all 20 of the hotel’s restaurants. Yohan Lee is executive sous chef, banquets and pastry. He has worked at kitchens including the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina, and Eleven Madison Park in New York City, and most recently was executive pastry chef at Grand Hyatt Baha Mar in Nassau, Bahamas. Sierra Marcussi is director of event operations. She worked at the Hyatt Regency Washington on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., and Grand Hyatt Baha Mar, where she organized and hosted events including a presidential inaugural gala, concerts for top performers, world poker tournaments and more.
Meyer Jabara Hotels (MJH) appointed Richard Sprecher vice president of development. Sprecher, a 40-year hospitality veteran, will focus on growing the company’s third-party hotel management contracts, as well as structuring joint venture agreements, obtaining hotel receivership assignments and identifying hotels for acquisition. Operating from MJH’s new development officer in Rolling Meadows, Illinois, Sprecher will also head a new distressed asset division, Hospitality Strategic Services. Sprecher comes to MJH from Aimbridge Hospitality, where he was vice president of business development for 11 years. Prior to that, he was director of franchise sales for Choice Hotels International, where he sold more than 200 hotel franchises.
Hilton Ras Al Khaimah Resort and Spa in Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates, appointed Arthur Timlin food and beverage director. He most recently was responsible for F&B operations at Conrad Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Before that, Timlin worked for Jumeirah Beach Hotel in Dubai for five years, starting as general manager for Dhow and Anchor before being promoted to oversee the hotel’s entire F&B department.
Thanyapura Sports & Health Resort, Phuket, Thailand, appointed Edgar Toral Hernandez chief executive officer. He has been the resort’s executive vice president since 2017. Before joining Thanyapura, Toral Hernandez worked in senior operational roles in hospitality and health care across Latin America, Europe and Asia. He was born in Ecuador, holds Belgian citizenship and speaks four languages.
Rosewood Hotel Group appointed Hoss Vetry regional vice president and managing director of Rosewood Hong Kong, responsible for managing the property in addition to overseeing other group hotels, including Rosewood Beijing in Beijing China; Rosewood Sanya in Sanya, China; and New World Millennium Hong Kong. Vetry has more than 32 years of luxury hotel experience, including 25 years with The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Co. in North America, Asia Pacific and the Middle East. Prior to his new appointment, Vetry was general manager at The Ritz-Carlton Shanghai in Shanghai, China.