Nominations

📅 Marie-Josée Denis, appointed as Director of the Centre d’expertise of the Institut de tourisme et d’hôtellerie du Québec (ITHQ), began her role on June 9, 2025. With over 30 years of industry experience, she leads a multidisciplinary team to define strategic directions, develop business plans, and implement innovative solutions for tourism, hospitality, and public institutions. Paul Caccia emphasized her expertise as an essential asset for the ITHQ’s growth and support in the sector.

📈 Paris, 26 juin 2025 – Schroders Capital nomme Jérôme Hamelin comme Head of Real Estate France. Avec près de 20 ans d'expérience, Jérôme supervisera les segments bureaux, logistique et commerce de détail en France, Luxembourg et Belgique. Schroders Capital gère 27,3 milliards de dollars d'actifs immobiliers et 99,3 milliards d’actifs privés totaux. L’équipe compte plus de 130 professionnels dans huit pays. L’hôtellerie est dirigée par James MacNamara.

📅 Francis Davidson, CEO of Sonder Holdings Inc., announced on June 25 his resignation after leading the company since its 2014 inception. He transformed it into a global hotel brand across 40 markets in 9 countries. Janice Sears, board chair since January 2025 and former Bank of America Securities executive, steps in as interim CEO. This leadership change follows Sonder's recent strategic integration with Marriott International.

📈 Fadel Abdulbaqi Al Ali has been appointed as the president of Majid Al Futtaim's Holding Board, succeeding Sir Michael Rake, who served since 2009. Al Ali, a respected business figure in the UAE, previously held roles such as CEO of Dubai Holding and Deputy CEO of First Abu Dhabi Bank. Currently, he is President of the Dubai Financial Services Authority and Vice-President of Wio Bank.

📑 Chris Stevens, avec 25 ans d'expérience, rejoint Virgin Hotels Collection après son rôle de vice-président chez Ashford Inc. et des postes chez BRE Hotels & Resorts, pour diriger les opérations et la croissance. Rayhan Arif devient directeur financier, fort de son expertise chez Virgin Mobile Latin America et Virgin Orbit, pour superviser les finances et la stratégie. Virgin Hotels Collection se renforce avec ces nominations pour une expansion mondiale.

📚 En 1964, à Madrid, un futur expert en transformations est né. En 1995, après 7 ans avec P&G, il s'installe à Bruxelles pour deux ans. Après 8 ans à Disneyland et un passage chez Radisson, il dirige aujourd'hui Louvre Hotels Group, gérant 2,000 hôtels dans 70 pays. Avec 170,000 chambres et 30,000 employés, il prône l'adaptation quotidienne, une planification claire et la collaboration comme clés de succès.

💼 Adam Snow joins Stonebridge as the new Chief Strategy Officer, aiming to realign brand, corporate growth, and operational strategy. Previously, he held strategic roles at Aimbridge Hospitality, Dine Brands, The Walt Disney Company, and Dell. Stonebridge's decision to integrate strategic functions into daily hotel operations marks a shift to a property-centered strategy, challenging traditional hotel governance models. This bold move may inspire other operators.

🍯 François Perret, pastry chef at the Ritz Paris since 2015, will leave at the end of summer 2025 after a decade of innovation and success. He was named the world's best restaurant pastry chef in 2019 by the Association des Grandes Tables du Monde. Ritz director Laurent Herschbach praised Perret's unmatched influence. Perret's future projects remain undisclosed. His recognizable style blends French tradition with contemporary lightness, gaining broader acclaim with the 2020 series "The Chef in a Truck.

📍 Manuel Deisen has been appointed as the new General Manager of InterContinental Buckhead Atlanta. With over 30 years in luxury hospitality, including 20 years at The Ritz-Carlton and 6 years at W Hotels, Deisen has held leadership roles in Atlanta, Chicago, and Nashville. In 2024, his work at W Nashville earned the "Guest Experience Hotel of the Year" award. His leadership blends classic hotel rigor with lifestyle creativity.

📈 Duetto voit un changement de leadership après six ans sous David Woolenberg, qui a amélioré la performance et élargi la portée de l'entreprise. Il cède sa place à Alex Zoghlin, ex-CEO d'ATPCO, reconnu pour son expertise technologique dans le voyage et l'hôtellerie. Zoghlin est prêt à innover et à étendre Duetto sur de nouveaux marchés. Woolenberg reste impliqué stratégiquement, assurant une transition en douceur.