FRHI Hotels & Resorts, the operator of Raffles Hotels & Resorts, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts and Swissôtel Hotels & Resorts, is pleased to announce several management-level appointments at its properties and locations worldwide. Recent appointments include:
FRHI Hotels & Resorts appoints Mark Huntley as regional vice president and general manager of Swissôtel Chicago.Huntley will continue to be responsible for the overall operations, performance, and strategic direction for hotels based in the Central U.S. & Mexico Region and will carry out the responsibilities of general manager for Swissôtel Chicago.Huntley joined the company in 1986 and held several progressive positions over the years, including general manager of the Fairmont San Francisco and The Savoy, A Fairmont Managed Hotel. Most recently, Huntley was the regional vice president & general manager, Fairmont Chicago, Millennium Park.
FRHI Hotels & Resorts welcomes Shane Krige as general manager, Fairmont Washington D.C. Krige brings over 20 years of experience to this position, beginning his career with Marriott Management Services.In 2007, Krige joined FRHI as the general manager of The Plaza, A Fairmont Managed Hotel prior to relocating to India in his most recent position as general manager, The Ritz-Carlton, Bangalore.
Niall Cowan has been appointed general manager, Fairmont Sanur Beach Bali, Indonesia.Bringing over 14 years of experience to the position, Cowan first joined FRHI Hotels & Resorts in 2004.Since then he has held several progressive roles within the company and most recently was general manager, Fairmont Mount Kenya Safari Club.
Swissôtel Krasnye Holmy, Moscow welcomes back Jan Chovanec as general manager.Chovanec is relocating from Swissôtel Hong Kong Macau Centre, Beijing where he was the general manager since 2012.From 2007 to 2012, Chovanec held the general manager position at Swissôtel Krasnye Holmy, Moscow prior to relocating to Beijing.Chovanec is no stranger to the Swissôtel brand and has held several progressive positions at many properties since 1998.
Raffles Hotel Le Royal and Raffles Grand Hotel d’Angkor, Kingdom of Cambodia welcomes Thomas Guldager Christiansen as general manager.Christiansen has over 27 years of hospitality and travel experience, having first started his career as a destination manager in 1987.Since then, he has held various management level positions within the hospitality industry, including his most recent as general manager, Grand Millennium Sukhumvit.
Doxis Bekris has been appointed group executive chef, Fairmont The Norfolk, Fairmont Mara Safari Club and Fairmont Mount Kenya Safari Club. As executive chef, Bekris will oversee the culinary operations at the three properties. Bekris began his career in 1997 as a junior sous chef at Hotel L’Albereta in Milan, Italy and later held several progressive roles including executive chef at leading international hotel brands.In 2010, Bekris joined Swissôtel Hotels & Resorts in Zurich, Switzerland as corporate F&B and culinary director.
Fairmont Ajman welcomes Chandramouli Perur as executive chef. Perur will be responsible for leading the culinary team of seven outlets for the soon-to-open Fairmont Ajman.Additionally, he will be instrumental in overseeing the pre-opening organization and post-opening culinary offerings of the hotel.Perur joins the company with a rich culinary experience that spans over 20 years. Since 2009, Perur was executive sous chef, Fairmont Bab Al Bahr, Abu Dhabi.
Swissôtel Dresden Am Schloss welcomes Marcus Seidel as executive chef. Seidel has over 16 years of hospitality experience and has been with Swissôtel since the opening of this property, in the position of sous chef since 2012.Prior to joining in 2012, Seidel held the position of sous chef at the hotel and restaurant Schloss Eckberg.
Kevin Jean Fawkes joins Swissôtel Nai Lert Park Bangkok as executive chef. Fawkes will be responsible for the management of the food & beverage division.Prior to joining FRHI Hotels & Resorts, Fawkes was the executive chef at Sonera Kiri – Koh Kood. Over the years, Fawkes held progressive culinary positions at leading hotel brands around the world including the role of sous chef at several establishments in the United Kingdom, including at The Savoy, A Fairmont Managed Hotel.
Swissôtel Resort Phuket appoints Noppadon Chainart as executive chef. Having worked in various capacities in a culinary environment at both the Sheraton Laguna and The Hilton Arcadia in Phuket, he brings many years of experience to the position.Most recently, Chainart held the title of executive sous chef at Swissôtel Resort Phuket.
Fairmont Ajman welcomes Karina Davies as director, sales & marketing. Davies began her career with FRHI Hotels & Resorts in 1998 as director, group sales with the Fairmont Banff Springs.Davies later held the position of director, sales & marketing at several Fairmont properties in Canada and then later relocated to Singapore and China.Most recently, Davies held the position of area director, sales and marketing, Kenya.
Lisa Gibson joins the Fairmont Royal Pavilion as director, sales & marketing. Gibson brings over 16 years of hospitality experience to the position.Gibson began her hospitality career as the operations manager at Marcus Evans Ltd. and assistant manager, Barbados Conference Services Ltd.She has held several progressive sales positions at hotels in Barbados. Gibson joined FRHI in 2014 in her most recent role as senior sales manager.
Sion Edwards joins The Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa as director of sales & marketing. Edwards began his hospitality career in 1994 with Howard Johnson Hotel, New York.Since then, he has held various positions at other international hotel brands before joining the Fairmont Royal York in 2000 as assistant reception manager.After several progressive positions at the hotel, he joined the Fairmont San Francisco in 2010.Edwards most recently held the position of director of sales, The Fairmont San Francisco.
FRHI Hotels & Resorts welcomes Nobuhisa Sugimura as director, global accounts, Japan & South Korea. Sugimura brings 11 years of experience to the position.Since beginning his hospitality career in 2004, he has held several progressive positions at the Peninsula Hong Kong and St.Regis Bora Bora Resort. Sugimura joins us from his most recent position of account director, leisure, at Starwood Hotels & Resorts.