Marriott International’s board of directors elected David Marriott, president, U.S. Full Service Managed by Marriott at Marriott International, and Horacio Rozanski, president and chief executive officer at Booz Allen Hamilton, directors of the company. Marriott and Rozanski will also be included in the company’s slate of nominees for election at Marriott’s 2021 Annual Meeting of Stockholders.
Marriott joined the company in 1999 and has held numerous roles during his tenure, including chief operations officer – The Americas Eastern Region. At Booz Allen Hamilton, Rozanski played a central role in the 2008 separation of the firm’s core government and commercial businesses into two companies and Booz Allen Hamilton’s 2010 initial public offering.
The elections of Marriott and Rozanski expanded the board to 13 members, nine of whom are independent. J.W. “Bill” Marriott, Jr. — who is currently serving as executive chairman and chairman of the board — plans to transition to the role of chairman emeritus in 2022. With David Marriott joining the board and in anticipation of him eventually assuming the position of chairman of the board in 2022, he plans to step down from his role as president, U.S. Full Service Managed by Marriott at the end of April.
Meanwhile, Marriott International appointed Carlton Ervin global development officer, international, and Noah Silverman global development officer, U.S. and Canada.
A 21-year Marriott veteran, Ervin’s previous role was chief development officer, Europe, Middle East and Africa, where he led Marriott’s development efforts for all brands across the region. He began his career with the company as an attorney in Marriott’s law department before moving on to roles including vice president in development focused on the company’s CALA region, chief development officer for CALA, chief development officer, Europe and in 2020, added Middle East and Africa to his portfolio.
Silverman, formerly chief development officer, U.S. and Canada full service hotels, has spent 24 years with the company, started at Marriott as a litigation attorney, then becoming a franchise attorney in the company’s law department. Before his appointment as chief development officer, U.S. and Canada full service hotels in 2011, Silverman held leadership roles in asset management and finance.
Rosewood São Paulo, Brazil, named Silvio Araujo director of sales and marketing. Araujo has more than 20 years of hospitality sales and marketing experience, working with international hotel brands throughout Brazil. He most recently was director of marketing and sales for Transamerica Hospitality Group, managing the sales and marketing operations for the group’s 23 hotels in Brazil. Prior to that, Araujo was director of sales and marketing at Palácio Tangará, an Oetker Collection hotel in São Paulo, and area director of marketing and sales for Hyatt in Brazil based at Grand Hyatt Rio de Janeiro where he prepared for the property’s 2015 opening and its 2016 Olympic Games operations.
Scott Broder joined Dreamscape Companies as executive vice president, head of hotel investments. Before Dreamscape, Broder was head of hotel investments at The Witkoff Group, where he oversaw hotel acquisitions, dispositions and asset management. He also previously served as director of acquisitions at Sunstone Hotel Investors. Over his career, he has completed more than US$2 billion in hotel transactions, including the acquisitions of Boston Park Plaza, Hyatt Regency San Francisco and the Wailea Beach Marriott Resort & Spa in Wailea, Hawaii.
The Memphian, opening this spring in Memphis, Tennessee, as part of the Marriott Tribute Portfolio, named Kristopher Colig general manager and Bobbie Peppers director of sales. For more than 13 years, Colig served at a number of Hyatt Regency properties in roles including assistant director, director of food and beverage, and director of hotel operations. In 2016, he was Hyatt’s Food & Beverage Director of the Year while serving as director of operations in the Dallas/Fort Worth metro area. Peppers has a 15-year track record of increasing sales for properties including Omni Louisville Hotel, Louisville, Kentucky; Sheraton Music City Hotel, Nashville, Tennessee; Tunica Properties; Hilton Memphis Hotel and Marriott Downtown Hotel in Memphis. Most recently, she was director of sales and marketing at Hu Hotel in Memphis.
Hotel D’Angleterre in Copenhagen, Denmark, appointed Jakob de Neergaard head chef of its Michelin-starred restaurant, Marchal. De Neergaard, who has expertise in both French and Nordic gastronomy, has worked throughout Europe, including at the Ritz Hotel in Paris, France; Alain Ducasse in Paris; and Restaurant Bruneau in Brussels, Belgium, alongside Chef Jean-Pierre Bruneau. In his nine years as head chef of Søllerød Kro in Holte, Denmark, he earned the restaurant its first Michelin star.
Sonesta International Hotels Corp. has appointed Garine Ferejian-Mayo as the company’s new chief commercial officer. In this newly created position, Ferejian-Mayo will leverage more than 25 years of industry experience to drive the execution of Sonesta’s commercial operations while leading the company’s sales, revenue, distribution, call center, and field-marketing teams. Ferejian-Mayo will work closely with Sonesta President and Chief Executive Officer Carlos Flores, and Chief Operating Officer Vera Manoukian to craft the company’s commercial strategy. She joins Sonesta most recently from InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), where she served as IHG’s head of Commercial for their core-managed hotels and luxury division. She began her career at Interstate Hotels & Resorts and has held several leadership roles at Fairmont, Loews, and Starwood Hotels.
Hotel Valencia Riverwalk in San Antonio named Juan Flores general manager. This marks a return to the property for Flores, who served on the management team that opened the property in 2003. Flores has spent a majority of his more than two decades in hospitality management with Valencia Group. Prior to rejoining Hotel Valencia Riverwalk, Flores was in charge of corporate logistics of hotel operations across the Valencia Hotel Group. He also previously served as manager of Houston’s Hotel Sorella CityCentre.
Holger Flory is general manager of the Steigenberger Graf Zeppelin in Stuttgart, Germany, taking over for Bernd Zängle, who is retiring after 33 years as a hotel director at Steigenberger Hotels. Zängle had served as director at Steigenberger Graf Zeppelin since 2017. Flory has been director commercial of Steigenberger Frankfurter Hof in Frankfurt, Germany, since 2018. Flory worked as a sales manager for Steigenberger Hotels between 1997 and 2000, then went on to work with InterContinental and Rocco Forte, among others. Prior to his return to Steigenberger Hotels, Flory was general manager in charge of pre-opening and opening at Roomers in Baden-Baden, Germany.
Dream Hotel Group appointed Jason Francis corporate director of food and beverage. He will initially focus on process and culinary consistency at Stateside Kitchen at Dream Nashville, Tennessee, while also focusing on Dream Doha, Qatar’s nine dining and nightlife venues opening late 2021. Francis has spent nearly 15 years as a chef and culinary executive. He most recently worked for the Hillstone Restaurant Group where he spent the last five of his nearly 10-year tenure as head chef and culinary manager of Palm Beach Grill and Honor Bar in Palm Beach, Florida.
The Curtis in Denver appointed Alyssa Resendiz sales manager. Previously, Resendiz was director of sales for Capri Hospitality Management in Denver, where she developed and executed sales programs for Homewood Suites by Hilton Denver West Lakewood. Previously, she held several director of sales positions at Baywood Hotels, White Lodging Services and Island Hospitality Management.
CBRE named Rachael Rothman head of hotels research and data analytics. Prior to joining CBRE, Rothman spent nearly three years as an industry executive and consultant, including her work as chief financial officer of Apple Hospitality and before that, as head of corporate strategy and investor relations at Playa Hotels & Resorts. Before her corporate roles, Rothman spent 18 years as an equity analyst following the hospitality industry for Susquehanna International Group, Merrill Lynch and Morgan Stanley.
Kamalaya Wellness Sanctuary and Holistic Spa in Koh Samui, Thailand, named Bruce Ryde general manager and brand strategist. Ryde has experience both operating hotels and leading global brands in Asia Pacific. Ryde recently managed the luxury brand strategy for Marriott International’s brands, including The Ritz-Carlton, St. Regis, JW Marriott, The Luxury Collection and W Hotels as vice president, Asia Pacific. Prior to that, he held the same position with IHG, overseeing the InterContinental brand as well as the launch of the Hotel Indigo and Kimpton brands in Asia Pacific.
Outrigger Hospitality Group appointed Monica Salter vice president, global communications and social responsibility; James Wilson director, business intelligence and analytics services; Kyle Vidal global media director; and Matt Mariconda director, financial planning and analysis. Salter joined Outrigger in 2016 as vice president corporate communications after previously holding leadership positions at Bennet Group Strategic Communications, Hotel Lana’i, Team Unlimited/Xterra and University of Hawai’i Athletics. Wilson also joined Outrigger in 2016 as manager, business intelligence. Prior to that, he was director of front office operations and front office manager for Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort in Miramar Beach, Florida, and an implementation consultant to hospitality operations for Oracle. Vidal joined Outrigger in 2010 and was welcomed to the marketing team in 2013 after working first in the company’s human resources department. Mariconda joined the group in 2018 as senior financial analyst and became controller for the Outrigger-managed Embassy Suites by Hilton Waikiki Beach and Ohana Waikiki Malia by Outrigger, both in Honolulu, in November 2019. Before that, he was with a financial advisor at Morgan Stanley Wealth Management.
Cross Hotels & Resorts promoted Harry Thaliwal to chief executive officer. Thaliwal is focused on future growth while maintaining a balanced approach to the company’s business model, supporting staff with learning and development opportunities and building a network of sustainable eco-systems within the company’s properties.
Margaritaville Resort Times Square, opening late spring in New York City, named Kori Yoran general manager, Kylie Featherby director of food and beverage operations, John Pasquale director of catering sales and Samara DellaRagione director of sales and marketing. Yoran joined the team from Dream Midtown in New York City, where he spent two years as general manager. Featherby was area director and general manager at Applebee’s in Times Square, New York City, and also worked at New York groups such as P.J. Clarkes and Don’t Tell Mama. Pasquale joined the Margaritaville team after a 20-year tenure at Hard Rock Café in New York City where he oversaw all sales and marketing initiatives for the restaurant, retail store and entertainment complex. DellaRagione previously was director of sales and marketing for Dream Midtown and formerly worked at Sixty Hotels 6 Columbus in New York City and Copthorne Hotels.
Jose Zarate is Fairmont Hotels & Resorts regional director of talent and culture, Northern California/Washington State. Zarate’s career started as a bellperson at the Fairmont San Jose, California, where he went on to hold a series of progressive roles. In 2007, he was appointed assistant director, human resources and held the position until 2010 when he was promoted to director. In 2017, he transferred to Claremont, Club & Spa in Berkeley, California, as director, talent and culture. He’s also fulfilled task force posts at Fairmont hotels in San Francisco, Southern California, Chicago and Boston.