Guido Kerpel has been promoted to COO for New Castle Hotels and Resorts; he was previously vice president of operations. Kerpel has been with the company since 1999, working as a general manager before moving to corporate positions. During his tenure, he assisted in expanding the company’s northeastern United States and Canadian portfolio.
Proper Hospitality is welcoming a new COO, Blake Danner, to lead business, organizational, and growth strategies. Before Proper Hospitality, Danner helped grow hotel brands including NoMad during his time as COO for Sydell Group. He also worked as senior vice president of sales for Ian Schrager Hotels/Morgans Hotel Group.
Chris Dunne is joining Atrium Hospitality in the newly-created role of CFO, where he is leading accounting and financial operations. Prior to joining Atrium Hospitality, Dunne spent more than 18 years with IHG, where he worked his way up to the corporate team as vice president of operations finance, Americas.
Fran Taloricco is CDO for Access Hotels & Resorts, and she is responsible for expanding the company’s portfolio and overseeing hotels in the United States and eastern Canada. Taloricco was most recently managing director of North American development for Best Western Hotels & Resorts.
Kevin Detz has been promoted to EVP – Operational CFO for Aimbridge Hospitality. In 2014, Detz joined the company as SVP – Corporate Controller, and in that role, he assisted in developing Aimbridge’s accounting services. Following the promotion, Detz will lead daily corporate accounting and finance operations.
Island Hospitality Management has promoted Gregg Forde to EVP and COO and Roger Pollak to EVP and CFO. While Forde will lead hotel operations, revenue management, and talent acquisition for the company’s 172-hotel portfolio, Pollak will lead financial functions, administrative duties, and risk management.
Andrew Pace has been named SVP of business development for Hospitality Ventures Management Group (HVMG), and in this position, he is supporting the company’s third-party management and new development. Prior to HVMG, Pace was SVP for Strand Hospitality, where he oversaw portfolio growth.
IHG has announced Mark Sergot is vice president of global sales operations and enablement. His responsibilities include developing sales solutions, acquiring market opportunities, and leading sales performance across IHG’s global portfolio. Sergot was CSO for Associated Luxury Hotels International before joining IHG.
Wayne West III is now chairman for the IHG Owner Association Global Board of Directors for 2020; West is currently president and partner of Newport Hospitality Group. In addition, Brent Jackson, president of Jackson Hotel Management, is the 2020 chair for the IHG Owner Association’s Emerging Leaders Network for the United States, Canada, and Mexico; he was vice chair in 2019.
Julia Massey has been named vice president of global sustainability for Kempinski Hotels S.A. In this position, Massey is a member of the corporate operational strategy team, and she will be integral in developing and implementing sustainability standards and initiatives across the company’s portfolio.
Chesapeake Hospitality has appointed Guido Piccinni corporate director of food and beverage. While Piccinni has worked for Chesapeake Hospitality in a variety of roles during his career including director of food and beverage, he was most recently COO for Southern Proper Hospitality Group.
Hospitality Management Corporation (HMC) has announced Peter Ambrose is general manager for the Sheraton Harrisburg Hershey, where he will build overall hotel performance. Ambrose has held general manager positions with HMC including for the Four Points by Sheraton in Little Rock, Ak., and the Holiday Inn Airport and Conference Center in Memphis, Tenn.
Katharine Degoma will lead the daily operations as general manager for the Ambassador Chicago. Degoma was previously general manager for the Hyatt Regency Deerfield where she oversaw a recent renovation, and she also held the position of director of operations for the Hyatt Regency Schaumburg.
Michael Medeiros is general manager for the Sonesta Fort Lauderdale Beach, where he will lead operations and guest standards. Medeiros has worked for Sonesta for almost 30 years. His most recent role was leading corporate food and beverage for new hotel acquisitions and openings since 2014.
Opening in June 2020, the Brenton Hotel in Newport, R.I., has named Jonathan Andrew Ross managing director. In this position, Ross will lead pre-opening, hiring and training, and property management when the hotel opens. Ross was regional director of sales and marketing, New England, for Auberge Resorts Collection before his new position.
Talya Regan is director of marketing for The Kartrite Resort & Indoor Waterpark, a Benchmark Resorts & Hotels property in Monticello, N.Y. Regan was previously public relations manager at Resorts World Catskills, where she was a member of the property’s opening team; she also was associate director of public relations and marketing for Frost Valley YMCA in Claryville, N.Y.
Diana Plazas-Trowbridge is chief sales and marketing officer for Marriott International in the Caribbean and Latin America regions. Plazas-Trowbridge is managing consumer operations, sales, marketing, and revenue management for the 33 countries in the Caribbean and Latin American regions where Marriott has properties.
