Nominations

🏦 Thomas B. Meier, an EHL 1995 alumnus, has been appointed as the new General Manager at Jumeirah, a luxury hospitality brand and subsidiary of Dubai Holding. In his role, Thomas will spearhead the ambitious goal of doubling Jumeirah's portfolio by 2030, focusing on international expansion and reinforcing its position as a leader in luxury hospitality. Key achievements under his leadership include Jumeirah's entry into Africa with the launch of Jumeirah Thanda Island in Tanzania and Jumeirah Thanda Safari in South Africa. Thomas, who previously served as COO since October 2021, has a distinguished multi-decade career including global operations and expansion at Raffles.

🏢 Keisha Smith appointed as Executive Vice President and Director of Human Resources and Culture at Four Seasons, effective January 6, 2025. Based in Miami, with over 20 years of leadership experience, Smith previously held roles at Tory Burch, News Corp, Morgan Stanley, and serves as Director at Unity Software. Her focus will be on enhancing Four Seasons' culture to support strategic growth and employee engagement, reporting to President and CEO Alejandro Reynal.

🍴 Maxime Martin, with seven years of experience at Mandarin Oriental, Geneva, becomes Head Chef at Ottolenghi Genève. Trained under Neil Campbell in London, he co-created the Geneva menu, infusing Mediterranean flavors and Swiss touches, focusing on local, seasonal ingredients. Ottolenghi Genève offers an all-day menu with dishes ranging from small plates at around 11 euros to generous sharing platters up to 128 euros, emphasizing fresh, seasonal ingredients and designed for sharing.

🎓 Keisha, with a degree from the University of Virginia and certification from the Hudson Institute, joins Four Seasons' executive team to enhance company culture and people-centric approaches. She will oversee global strategies for people, culture, internal communication, and ESG efforts. Four Seasons, celebrating over 60 years of cultural-driven success, employs over 50,000 staff members and is experiencing a period of exciting growth.

🏨 Eliane Yun Wang, an established hotelier, has left the Hotel de Berri in Paris. She is now heading to Alsace to manage a prominent hotel in Strasbourg. Meanwhile, a new hotel director from Nice is expected to take over at the Parisian gem under Dokhan group.

🏨 Philip Steiner named COO at Cycas Hospitality for UK, Ireland, Netherlands, and Portugal. Previously GM at Bankside Hotel, London, leading it to TripAdvisor's top 10 and winning “Best of the Best” 2024 with 87% recommendation intention. Joined Cycas Hospitality in 2018, held strategic roles, managed Moxy & Residence Inn by Marriott in Slough with 244 rooms. Steiner graduated from the International Hotelschool in The Hague and has worked at Rome Cavalieri, Hilton, and Starwood hotels.

🏫 Lison de Caunes, a graduate of the Union centrale des arts décoratifs in 1972, revived her grandfather's marqueterie de paille (straw marquetry) craft, opening her studio in 1978. The resurgence of interest in Art Déco by architects and designers filled her order book. Notable collaborations include Vuitton, Guerlain, and Cheval Blanc in Paris, Bulgari Paris Hotel, the Woodward in Geneva, and renovations for the Hôtel Meurice and Cartier boutiques.

🏨 Nouredine Fardad appointed as General Manager of the InterContinental Bora Bora Resort & Thalasso Spa. With over 20 years in luxury hospitality, he previously increased profitability by 70% in 2023 at Château de Berne compared to 2019, achieving the best financial results in its 23-year history. Fardad aims to enhance the eco-friendly luxury image of the hotel located on a private motu in Bora Bora.

📅 Erin Wallace joins Sonder Holdings Inc.'s board of directors on January 1, 2025. Nabeel Hyatt resigned from Sonder's board on December 31, 2024. Janice Sears, former lead independent director, becomes board chairperson. Wallace brings over 30 years of experience from The Walt Disney Company, Great Wolf Resorts, Inc., and The Learning Care Group, Inc. Sonder adopts independent director-led board structure for improved governance.

📅 In 2024, the New African's list of the "100 Most Influential Africans" included notable figures like Aliko Dangote, Idris Elba, and King Mohammed VI of Morocco. Founder and President of APO Group, Nicolas Pompigne-Mognard, was named among these influential individuals for the second consecutive year. New African has been compiling this annual list since 2011, celebrating diverse contributions to Africa and the global community.