New roles for the industry’s movers and shakers
Novotel Hyderabad Airport
Novotel Hyderabad Airport has appointed Ravi Khubchandani as the hotel’s new general manager. In his role, Khubchandani will focus on enhancing overall guest experience at Novotel Hyderabad Airport, bringing growth in revenues, and developing the team to manage the hotel operations. An AccorHotels veteran with over a decade of experience in the industry, Khubchandani started his career with AccorHotels in 2003 in Wellington, New Zealand. Over the course of his career with AccorHotels in New Zealand, he worked across various verticals and locations, including MICE, corporate, boutique and airport hotels. His tenure with AccorHotels in India began in 2011 as the hotel manager for ibis Pune and in 2012 he was appointed as the general manager of ibis Gurgaon. He was also part of AccorHotels’ International Hospitality Management Program (IHMP), run by Academie Accor – Singapore.
Global Destinations
Global Destinations has appointed Vaijayanthi Kari as India representative, Tourism Fiji. Prior to joining Global Destinations, Kari worked in the field of public relations for a period of three years. She will be based out of the Mumbai office of Global Destinations.
TripAdvisor
TripAdvisor has announced that Gary Fritz has joined as the chief growth officer and president, Asia Pacific, TripAdvisor. In these roles, Fritz will be responsible for driving growth and strategy across the entire family of TripAdvisor brands. Additionally, he will be responsible for leading TripAdvisor’s operations and strategy throughout the Asia Pacific region. Before joining TripAdvisor, Fritz founded the advisory and investment group Amanogawa LLC, where he advised the leadership of several multi – national companies on global strategy and expansion plans, with clients that included Rakuten and TripAdvisor.
Air New Zealand
Air New Zealand has appointed Micheal Meredith as consultant chef. Renowned for his adventurous approach to food and degustation menus at Auckland’s fine dining restaurant, Merediths, the Samoan-born chef will work with the airline to design dishes for its business premier menus. Meredith joins Air New Zealand’s current consultant chef, Peter Gordon of SkyCity’s Sugar Club, The Providores and The Tapa Room in London, who has partnered with the airline for more than 20 years. The airline’s business premier menus will include both Meredith and Gordon’s dishes from early next year.
CWT
Carlson Wagonlit Travel (CWT) has announced new appointments at the top management level. The new CWT team now includes Kurt Ekert as president and CEO, Andrew Jordan as chief technology officer, Kelly Kuhn as chief customer officer, Patrick Andersen as chief strategy and commerce officer, Scott Brennan as president – hotels, and David Moran as chief human resources officer. Aditionally, CWT has Sim Kian Peng as general manager – Southeast Asia.
FCM Travel Solutions
FCM Travel Solutions has appointed Marcus Eklund as global leader. Most recently from the travel technology company Amadeus, Eklund has worked with FCM in recent years and has experience working with both travel agencies and corporations on the management of business travel programmes. The announcement comes after Eklund’s predecessor, Gregory Lording, announced his intention to take an extended sabbatical leave after six years of growing the organisation’s global network and multinational business.
Diethelm Travel Cambodia
Ronni Dalhoff has been appointed as managing director of Diethelm Travel Cambodia. Dalhoff replaces former managing director, Pierre Jungo, who has retired after being with the company for 20 years. A Danish national, Dalhoff has been living in Cambodia for the past five years, working as operations manager and hotel manager. Prior to these roles, he worked as a sales representative in a Danish travel agency that specialised in South East Asia, as well as a travel consultant to tour operators in Cambodia.
Hokulani Waikiki by Hilton Grand Vacations Club
Robert Ishihara has been appointed as the general manager of the Outrigger-managed Hokulani Waikiki by Hilton Grand Vacations Club. Ishihara has been general manager of the Wyndham Royal Garden at Waikiki and was assistant general manager at the Wyndham at Waikiki Beach Walk, both resorts managed by Outrigger. His previous Outrigger experience also includes a temporary assignment as general manager for the Ohana Waikiki East by Outrigger, in addition to serving as guest services manager, front office manager and then director of front office for the then Ohana Waikiki Beachcomber and assistant front office manager at the Waikiki Beachcomber before it transitioned to the Ohana brand. Before Outrigger, Ishihara worked at the Hawaiian Regent Hotel as guest services representative, hotel assistant manager and assistant executive housekeeper.
Mövenpick Resort & Spa Jimbaran Bali
Horst Walther-Jones has been appointed the general manager of the Mövenpick Resort & Spa Jimbaran Bali. Walther-Jones hails from Germany where he began his career in hospitality as an apprentice and commis de cuisine before becoming executive chef and director of food and beverage at Hyatt Cancun Caribe Villas & Resort in Mexico and later at the Hyatt Regency in Macau – China. His first management role was at Jumeirah Beach Hotel in Dubai where he became executive assistant manager and Jumeirah Group co-ordinator for food and beverage, before taking on the role of general manager in March 2004 at Jumeirah Bab Al Shams Desert Resort and Spa, also in Dubai. After five more years with Jumeirah, Walther-Jones joined Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts in 2009 as the general manager of the Mövenpick Hotel Al Nawras in Saudi
Arabia.