Rosewood Hotel Group, the leading international hospitality group with four dynamic, design-led brands, is pleased to announce the appointments of several new executive team members to execute its thoughtful yet ambitious growth plan:
Bede Barry as Vice President, Operations – Americas;
Micah Friedman as Chief Information Officer – Global;
Milet Lukey as Vice President, Talent and Culture – Americas;
Jeffery Wong as Vice President, Finance – Americas and Europe; and
Jack Xiao as Vice President, Financial Controller – Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa.
Each considered an expert in their respective roles, the five new additions will reinforce the group’s leadership across its global footprint and provide more regional and operational strategic direction to their teams and play a critical role in the continued worldwide expansion of the group.
“It is a pleasure to welcome Bede, Micah, Milet, Jeffrey and Jack to Rosewood Hotel Group, where their unparalleled experience and inspiring appetite for excellence will surely be of invaluable importance to the future of the group and the hotels,” said Sonia Cheng, chief executive officer of Rosewood Hotel Group. “At this pivotal time in our group’s evolution, these five leaders are great additions to the Rosewood team that will help us reinforce the transformation of the company into a global leader in luxury hospitality.”
Bede Barry joins Rosewood Hotel Group with more than 30 years of experience in the luxury hospitality industry. Most recently, Bede was the Vice President of Operations at The Venetian Macao and The Parisian Macao under Sands China Ltd., the leading developer, owner and operator of multi-use integrated resorts and casinos in Macao. During his time with the brand, Bede additionally oversaw the operations of The Conrad Macao and The Holiday Inn Macao, leading the properties to a Forbes Five Star and Four Star Ratings, respectively. Prior to joining Sands China, Bede held the role of General Manager for Mandarin Oriental Macau, in addition to several other management positions with the Hyatt brand.
Bringing over thirty years of hospitality and technology experience, Micah Friedman will lead the global IT organization and work with Rosewood Hotel Group’s leaders to craft and drive a digital business transformation that will create better experiences for guests, associates, management and owners. Most recently, Micah led travel and hospitality management consulting for Cognizant Technology Solutions and previously oversaw Oracle Corporation’s hospitality industry business unit. Prior to joining Oracle, Micah served as Enterprise Architect for a major private equity firm and held technology leadership positions at renowned clubs and resorts.
Previously Vice President, Talent and Culture at Auberge Resorts Collection, Milet Lukey joins Rosewood with an impressive background that boasts over 25 years of experience in leadership roles at luxury hospitality houses. Before joining Auberge, Milet worked with SH Group Hotels, the management company that launched Baccarat Hotels and 1 Hotels and also oversees SH Collection properties. Additional experience in the industry includes a substantial tour with The Dorchester Collection, as well as fifteen years with The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company.
Jeffrey Wong comes to the group from AccorHotels Group, where he most recently served as Vice President of Finance and Business Support for North and Central America. In this role, Jeffrey was responsible for overseeing 90 hotels in ten countries across 25 different brands, while simultaneously supporting development opportunities to optimize unit growth. Prior to his work with AccorHotels, Jeffrey was the Corporate Director of Finance and Business Support for Americas, East and Canada at InterContinental Hotels Group, where he managed corporate finance responsibilities for 28 managed hotels and 1,600 franchised hotels across six InterContinental brands.
Following a term at manufacturing company Kohler Co., as Director of Finance for the Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa territories, Jack Xiao joins Rosewood as a key member of the brand’s global finance leadership team to support companywide corporate initiatives. Before his time with Kohler, Jack served as Financial Controller of premium rubber producer GMG Global Ltd. His extensive experience also includes a variety of senior finance executive roles for industrial supply company W. W. Grainger, electrification, automation and digitalization powerhouse Siemens, and digital technology leader ABB Group.
Additionally, Rosewood Hotel Group is proud to recognize the promotions of several key executives within the group. Achim Lenders, formerly Senior Vice President, Operations for the Americas and Europe, has been promoted to Group Vice President of Global Operations, where he is now responsible for providing operational leadership and aligning strategies across Rosewood’s various brands and regions. Prior to joining Rosewood Hotel Group in 2017, Achim held senior positions at Starwood Hotels & Resorts and Hyatt Hotels where he gained extensive experience working across China, Japan, South Korea and Australia.
Caroline MacDonald, formerly Vice President of Sales and Marketing in the Americas and Europe, has also been promoted, now serving as Vice President of Global Sales and Marketing for Rosewood Hotel Group. In her new capacity, Caroline oversees the group’s global sales team as well as the corporate revenue management and distribution efforts across the group’s distinct brands including Rosewood Hotels & Resorts, New World Hotels & Resorts and KHOS. Since joining Rosewood in March 2016 from Auberge Resorts, Caroline has been instrumental in driving performance and elevating the identity of the brand.
Having most recently served as Vice President of Development for the European market, Irene Hoek now assumes the role of Vice President of Global Residential Development for the group. In this new role, Irene handles all matters relating to Rosewood’s growing residential division, which currently features 12 existing projects and an additional nine in the pipeline. Irene first joined Rosewood in 2017 boasting over 20 years of experience in the luxury hospitality industry across brands including Aman Hotels & Resorts, Dorchester Collection and InterContinental Hotels Group.
Further, Managing Directors Frederic Vidal, Daniel Scott and Davide Bertilaccio have been promoted to Regional Vice Presidents within their respective regions. In addition to acting as the Managing Director of Las Ventanas al Paraíso, A Rosewood Resort, Frederic now oversees the operations of Rosewood Puebla, Rosewood Inn of the Anasazi, Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek and Rosewood San Miguel de Allende. Daniel currently serves as Managing Director of Rosewood Mayakoba and now supervises Rosewood’s properties within the Caribbean-Atlantic region, including Rosewood Bermuda, Rosewood Little Dix Bay and Rosewood Baha Mar. Lastly, Davide, Managing Director of Rosewood Castiglion del Bosco, assumes additional responsibilities with operational oversight for Hôtel de Crillon, A Rosewood Hotel and Rosewood London.
“Rosewood would not be the brand that it is today without the hard work, dedication and leadership of our team, from Achim, Caroline and Irene at a group level to Frederic, Daniel and Davide at Rosewood Hotels & Resorts. During each of their respective tenures at Rosewood, all have proven themselves essential elements of our team, and we’re thrilled to recognize their extraordinary contributions to the brand with these recent promotions,” said Sonia Cheng. “We are excited for this next chapter in each of the leaders’ Rosewood regimes and are confident that they will only continue to thrive.”
