Varun Air Services
Varun Air Services has appointed Chandan Kalgutkar who will head the division for MICE & Leisure. Based in Mumbai, Kalgutkar began his career in the travelling industry with SOTC World Famous Tours and then worked with SOTC Club Holidays Division, Travel Corporation of India (TCI), Cruise Vacations (EX GSA Costa Cruise), AirTravel Enterprises India and TravelPort Holidays India.
WTTC
The president and CEO of Etihad Airways, James Hogan, has been named World Tourism and Travel Council’s (WTTC) vice chairman for the Middle East and Africa. Hogan was a member of the executive committee for the 2012 WTTC Global Summit event held in Tokyo, Japan recently.
Wyndham Hotel Group
Wyndham Hotel Group has appointed Frank Trampert as managing director of the Asia Pacific (APAC) region. An experienced hospitality executive, Trampert is charged with overseeing operations, development and the execution of cross-functional brand initiatives in APAC.
IATA
IATA has appointed Hussein Dabbas as regional vice president for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), based in Amman, Jordan with effect from June 1, 2012. Dabbas has served as president & CEO of Royal Jordanian Airline since 2009. He takes over from Dr Majdi Sabri who will retire from IATA after the leading the association in the MENA region since 2001.
FCL
Flight Centre Limited (FCL) has appointed Karen Cooke to the role of corporate marketing leader. Cooke will oversee the marketing activities for FCL’s suite of corporate brands including FCm Travel Solutions, Corporate Traveller, Stage and Screen Travel Services and Campus Travel.
Mandarin Oriental
Mandarin Oriental has promoted Susanne Hatje to group director of Residences from her previous post as general manager of Mandarin Oriental, Boston. In her new capacity, Hatje will be responsible for the global operations of all Residences at Mandarin Oriental and will also
provide strategic direction for the group’s residences under development around the world. Hatje will be based in the group’s San Francisco office and report to Richard Baker, executive vice president, operations director, The Americas.
Sheraton Bali Kuta Resort & The Westin Resort Nusa Dua
Bipan Kapur, general manager of the Westin Resort Nusa Dua Bali and the Bali International Convention Centre, has been promoted to managing director. He will be overseeing the soon to be opened, Sheraton Bali Kuta Resort, in addition to his existing responsibilities.
Kapur has been with Starwood since 1992.
Costa Group
Michael Thamm, currently serving as president of Germany-based AIDA Cruises, has been appointed CEO of the Costa Group, which includes Costa Cruises and AIDA Cruises, as well as Spanish cruise operator Ibero Cruises. Thamm will also serve on Costa’s board of directors.
Pier Luigi Foschi will retire as the cruise operator’s CEO July 1, 2012. Foschi, 65, will remain as chairman and managing director of the Costa Group and remain on the board of directors of Carnival Corporation & plc.
Longtime AIDA senior executive Michael Ungerer has been named AIDA Cruises’ president.
Tanzania Tourist Board
Ambassador Charles A Sanga has been appointed as the new chairman of the board of directors of the Tanzania Tourist Board (TTB).
New members of the board of directors have also been appointed: Professor Isaya Jairo from the Institute of Finance Management; Teddy Mapunda; Hon Abdulkarim Shah, member of parliament for Mafia Island; Hon Kaika Ole Telele, member of parliament for the Ngorongoro Constituency; as well as Samuel Diah, a private sector official representative to the board and a tour operator.
