Rezidor has appointed Eric De Neef as Executive Vice President & Chief Commercial Officer. Effective immediately, De Neef will be responsible for Rezidor’s entire commercial organisation, taking responsibility for the commercial strategy and achievement of the ambitious revenue growth objectives. He will drive all activities related to Sales, Marketing, Branding, PR, Distribution & E-Commerce, and will closely coordinate global deployment and optimization with Rezidor’s strategic partner Carlson.
De Neef, a Belgian national, joined Rezidor in February 2011; the role of Senior Vice President Marketing, CRM & Global Branding Park Inn by Radisson was his most recent position. He is based in Brussels and reports directly to President & CEO Wolfgang M. Neumann.
Eric De Neef has a Bachelor in Hotel Management from CERIA-IPIAT in Brussels. Prior to his time at Rezidor, he spent 23 years with Accor where he held General Manager and Regional Director positions in Belgium and was responsible for the global marketing strategy of the Mercure brand in France. At Rezidor, De Neef was instrumental for the re-launch of Park Inn by Radisson as a dynamic, contemporary brand targeting the growing guest clientele of Gen X and Gen Y and being a smart conversion model.
“I am delighted to announce Eric’s extended role which supports the acceleration of our commercial strategy. We concentrate on embracing the shifting dynamics of the marketplace and on strengthening our revenue generation engine. Our aim is to constantly enhance our company culture and to further develop our overall business strategy to maximize profitable total revenue”, said Wolfgang M. Neumann, President & CEO of Rezidor.
Taking up his new role, De Neef commented: “Our commercial strategy has a strong focus on digital development and distribution. We also exploit global synergies with Carlson – as Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group we have a powerful position as one of the largest hotel groups worldwide. We want to operate a set of compelling, clearly defined and globally aligned brands that are promoted and cross-sold through efficient commercial teams and systems’ delivery”.
Rezidor operates and develops four brands in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The group’s two core brands are Radisson Blu, Europe’s largest upper upscale brand; and Park Inn by Radisson, a young and fresh midmarket offer. In early 2014 and together with Carlson, Rezidor announced two new brands: Quorvus Collection, a new generation of expertly curated 5 star hotels; and Radisson Red, a lifestyle select offer inspired by the Millennial trends and lifestyle.
