Global Hotel Alliance (“GHA”), the world’s largest alliance of independent hotel brands, has announced that Flo Lugli has been appointed to the newly-created role of Executive Chairman of Global Hotel Alliance, effective 1st June 2016.
In this new role, Lugli will chair the GHA board, while bringing new experience and perspectives to the alliance during a period of rapid expansion, which has seen GHA grow to 34 member brands and over 550 hotels. Lugli will also chair GHA’s main strategy committee of member brand CEOs, which oversees the evolution of GHA’s products and services.
Lugli has extensive and specialist knowledge and experience in the areas where GHA operates. She is currently Founder and Principal of Navesink Advisory Group, LLC, providing strategic business advisory and consulting services in the travel, hospitality and related technology industries. She was previously Executive Vice President, Marketing at Wyndham Hotel Group, where she was responsible for distribution, e-commerce, loyalty, revenue management and research initiatives, as well as the global strategic direction for customer engagement and market positioning. During her time with Wyndham, Lugli chaired the board of Room Key, a joint venture online booking platform, co-owned by the industry’s biggest hotel companies.
Prior to joining Wyndham, Lugli served more than 20 years with Travelport, where she held several marketing and commercial positions. She also spent six years leading the Airline Solutions business unit, where she was responsible for the development and delivery of business and technology solutions for the company’s airline suppliers, with a specific focus on reservations hosting and data solutions.
Lugli holds several honorary awards, including one of the most influential women in hospitality technology from HFTP in 2014 and the first HEDNA award of excellence in 2002.
Lugli will take over the chairmanship from Mike Deitemeyer, President of Omni Hotels & Resorts, who has chaired the alliance since 2012. Deitemeyer will continue to serve as a member of the GHA board, which also includes Markus Semer (CEO, Kempinski), Colin Lubbe (CFO, Kempinski), Peter Strebel (CMO, Omni), Bernard Jammet (SVP, Oracle) and Chris Hartley, GHA’s CEO.
