New roles for the industry’s movers and shakers
Hahn Air
Hahn Air has appointed Dennis Huk as head of global account management. Together with Robert Jason Heerenveen, who has occupied the position since February 2015, Huk will lead a team of more than 20 directors of global account management and service partners around the globe who are responsible for executing sales and marketing activities as well as trainings and product presentations for 100,000 travel agencies worldwide. Before joining Hahn Air, Huk held various sales and account management positions at Aegean Airlines, Austrian Airlines and LATAM Airlines.
Resort Condominiums International (RCI)
RCI, one of the global leaders in vacation exchange and part of the Wyndham Worldwide family of brands, recently announced the appointment of Sabina Chopra to the position of managing director for RCI India. Under this role, Chopra will serve as a member of RCI’s senior leadership team, leading the execution of strategic priorities for the India market. She will be responsible for driving business growth and delivering ongoing value to RCI members and affiliates in this market. She will be based out of RCI’s Bengaluru office. RCI has also appointed Aruna Jathar as director for marketing and operations. Jathar joins as a member of RCI’s senior leadership team and will spearhead the brand building activities. She will focus on strategies to enhance customer acquisition. Besides bolstering overall growth and creating mind share for vacation exchange and time share in India, she will also be responsible for pan-India marketing operations and delivering greater brand value to RCI members and affiliates in India.
Travkart.com
Travkart.com, has announced the hiring of financial advisory firm Global CFO which provides virtual CFO and funds raising services to companies. GlobalCFO.in, represented by Rajan Bhatia, works with high potential, disruptive business models which have the potential to be a stock exchange listed company in the near future. GlobalCFO.in works primarily to help companies to scale up, get private equity funding and get listed on India’s premier stock exchanges. Bhatia is an experienced chartered accountant with over 18 years of financial, business and entrepreneurial experience of working with entrepreneurs, investors and MNCs. He has held senior financial positions like The Oberoi Group of Hotels, Indus Balaji Private Equity, World Health Organisation and many more.
UNWTO
The president of the Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities and chairperson of the Board of the Arab Regional Centre for World Heritage, Shaika Mai Bint Mohammed Al-Khalifa, has been appointed as special ambassador of the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development 2017 (IYSTD). In the resolution that adopts the IYSTD, the UN General Assembly specifically stresses how tourism can foster better understanding among people everywhere, leading to a greater awareness of the rich heritage of various civilisations and bringing about a better appreciation of the inherent values of different cultures.
AirBerlin
AirBerlin has appointed Götz Ahmelmann as chief commercial officer (CCO). Ahmelmann returns to AirBerlin from Etihad Airways where, since 2015, he successfully implemented projects among the European Etihad Airways partners. Ahmelmann rejoined AirBerlin on March 1, 2017. On the same day, Julio Rodriguez took up the position of chief commercial officer (CCO) with NIKI which, from the summer 2017 season, will take over AirBerlin’s transport agreements relating to certain leisure destinations in Southern Europe as well as North Africa and Turkey. AirBerlin has agreed to sell the shares it indirectly holds in NIKI to Etihad Airways, which will in turn contribute it to a new airline group to be established with TUI AG.
Hong Kong Airlines
Hong Kong Airlines has appointed George Liu as chief marketing officer (CMO). Heading Hong Kong Airlines’ branding and customer experience department, Liu’s role will be instrumental in leading the airline’s branding, marketing, communications, and customer experience in line with the overall company transition and business expansion from a regional airline to an international carrier. He brings to the position over 25 years of experience in brand strategy, marketing, communications, customer relations and government affairs, with successful track records supporting companies around the world.
One and Only, Cape Town
One&Only, Cape Town has appointed Nicholas Solomon as its new resort manager. Solomon’s experience include being general manager of North Island in the Seychelles and prior to that, as deputy general manager at The Royal Portfolio’s La Residence.
Minor Hotels
Minor Hotels has announced the appointment of Ramzy Fenianos as vice president of development for Europe, Middle East and Africa. Fenianos brings over 10 years’ experience in the hospitality and real estate industries. Focusing on business development, strategic planning and asset management in international hospitality branding and business development, his background includes Bouygues Real Estate Group and Emerige Group in France, Sama Dubai Holding Group and IFA Hotels & Resorts in Dubai.
AccorHotels
Paul Stevens has been appointed as chief executive officer of Accor Plus, AccorHotels’ travel, dining and lifestyle programme. Stevens commenced with AccorHotels in Australia in 1997, holding several general manager positions before leaving the group in 2004 to pursue other interests in the residential property market. In 2005, he rejoined the group as opening general manager of Sofitel Fiji before moving to Bangkok in 2007 to lead the hotel operations for the group’s Thailand hotels.