GERMANTOWN, Tennessee—McNeill Hotel Company (MHC) named current Vice President of Sales & Marketing Kim Knop as its director of business development, where she will work with investor and ownership groups as MHC expands its third-party property management portfolio. MHC President Travis Murray made the announcement.
Knop has over 30 years of hotel experience in sales and marketing, including with MHC Co-Founder Mark Ricketts at Memphis, Tennessee-based MASTER Hospitality, and as an area director of sales for Marriott International. She joined McNeill Hotel Company in 2015, soon after its founding, and has played a part in the company’s growth and property management platform in terms of operating revenues and return on investment; guest satisfaction; and performance within the Hilton, Marriott, and Hyatt brand families.
Knop has also been responsible for training and working with MHC sales personnel at the property and corporate levels; e-commerce initiatives in conjunction with Ken Parish, MHC director of e-commerce/sales support; and the company’s community contributions and volunteerism. In her new role as director of business development, in addition to continuing to work closely with Murray, Knop will be a direct report to Brent McDowell, executive vice president, business development for McNeill Investment Group.
“In the last several years, we have fully built our property management infrastructure to meet the full-service goals of institutional investors, exemplified by our prior relationship with Almanac Realty Investors and our current joint venture partnership with Prospect Ridge. We are now prepared to aggressively expand our third-party property management portfolio, with the goal of adding 25 to 50 hotels under management in the next 3 to 5 years,” McDowell said.
“Kim is one of the most dynamic sales and marketing individuals I have known in my more than 30-year hotel career. Her creativity, drive, and leadership embody the McNeill mission of People Serving People. Her people skills and ability to understand and innovate across hospitality disciplines will be tremendous assets in this new role,” Murray said.
“I’m thrilled to be given this unique opportunity to contribute to the next chapter of the McNeill story, as we have become a major player in the world of hotel management. Our teams have a great blend of experience and proven performance, along with responsiveness and passion for this industry, which appeal to owners and investors,” Knop said.
