The Maldives, 4 January 2023 – The Lux Collective’s award-winning resort LUX* South Ari Atoll appoints John Rogers as its new General Manager.Not new to the Group, British-born John brings along over three decades of experience overseeing award-winning luxury properties across different countries along with an impressive background in business strategy and pre-opening.
His professional journey took him to many destinations around the world such as Spain, Antigua and Barbuda, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain. Now in the Maldives, John is committed to apply his hospitality expertise and creativity to the vibrant operations of one of the largestresorts in the country.
“I am happy to be back to The Lux Collective’s family and to lead the shining team of LUX* South Ari Atoll to the new heights. This resort is well-known for innovative culinary offerings including the healthy yet tantalising LUX* Keen On Green cuisine. With my team, I am excited to create unique Extraordinary Experiences for our guests, considering my food & beverage career background, “ said John Rogers on his appointment.
LUX* South Ari Atoll is not just about luxury and aesthetics: a spacious resort with a playful and modern soul for travellers looking for a distinctive experience and exclusive dining options in the Maldives. It is a island paradise resort to experience the ‘sunny side of life’ at its fullest.
MIAMI, Dec. 15, 2022 – Silversea Cruises President and CEO Roberto Martinoli has elevated the brand into the industry’s leading ultra-luxury cruise line. On January 1, 2023, Martinoli will assume the role of senior advisor to Royal Caribbean Group (NYSE: RCL) President and CEO Jason Liberty. Barbara Muckermann, currently Chief Commercial Officer, will become Silversea’s next president and CEO, and will join Royal Caribbean Group’s Executive Committee.
“Roberto has built Silversea Cruises into the category leader that it is today, 11 ships strong with more on the way,” said Jason Liberty, president and CEO of Royal Caribbean Group. “He is one of the most innovative and knowledgeable leaders in the maritime industry. As senior advisor, Roberto will continue to provide strategic guidance that further cements Royal Caribbean Group’s status as a leader in the travel and hospitality industry. Barbara is the ideal executive to succeed Roberto. Her global perspective and team-first leadership style are a recipe for success for both the Silversea Cruises brand and Royal Caribbean Group.”
Under Martinoli’s leadership since 2016, Silversea’s fleet has grown to include 11 ships. In summer 2023, it will welcome Silver Nova, the first hybrid luxury cruise ship utilizing fuel cells and emitting zero harmful emissions while in port, an industry first. In 2024, Silversea welcomes Silver Ray, the second ship in the Nova Class. Martinoli also led the acquisition in 2022 of Silver Endeavour to help enable the company to access both polar regions. The ultra-luxury cruise line now sails to over 900 destinations across all seven continents each year, more than any other cruise line.
Muckermann brings more than 25 years of experience in the travel and hospitality industry, with an emphasis on creating truly exclusive high-end vacations. She first joined Silversea Cruises in 2001, and held several roles at other luxury and cruise brands from 2005 to 2016 before returning. In her current post as Silversea’s Chief Commercial Officer, she oversees all aspects of sales, marketing, revenue management and guest relations, as well as strategic communications and brand and product strategy. Muckermann is a Doctor in Political Sciences and Economics, and holds a joint MBA from London Business School and Columbia University.
“This is an exciting moment for Silversea as we continue to add new ships and return to the Asia market,” Muckermann said. “I am thrilled to build on our achievements under Roberto and focus on growth in the years ahead.”
Muckermann becomes the second woman to lead one of Royal Caribbean Group’s three wholly-owned brands, and joins Celebrity Cruises President and CEO Lisa Lutoff-Perlo, and Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley. She will oversee all of Silversea’s employees and crew, and will report to Jason Liberty.
As the DoubleTree by Hilton Fujairah City prepares to open its doors, key roles are being filled at the hotel, and a number of top positions have been filled by women. Emiratis will also play a key part in building the team with women leading in this area too.
The roles of Director of Operations, Front Office Manager, Marketing Head, HR Diversity & Inclusion Officer, GC&E Sales Manager, and Executive are all held by women, who are specialists in their respective positions. Additionally, visitors to the hotel will be welcomed by Doaa Mustafa, who has the distinction of being responsible for the door to the hotel, making her the very few females to hold this position in the UAE.
“When recruiting the team for DoubleTree by Hilton Fujairah City we wanted to ensure that we had diversity in terms of nationality and gender,” said Vikram Jamwal, General Manager for the hotel. “We wanted a reflection of people in the UAE, and I feel we’ve achieved that; they’re building a new community with their teammates as we prepare to open our doors with the warm hospitality of DoubleTree.”
A Turkish national, Birsen Kan has been appointed as Director of Operations and is well versed in transitioning a property from pre-opening to open and has worked in the Hilton family for 8 years. Christine Manoukian takes on the position of Front Office Manager and will be responsible for the guest welcome experience. Hailing from Armenia, Christine has always been a guest-facing professional and enjoys dealing with people.
Emirati Amnah Abdullah Alhefeiti leads the people component of the hotel, as the Human Resources, Diversity & Inclusion Officer where she uses her sociology skills to manage the team at the hotel.
When it comes to the marketing and events at the hotel, that role falls to Dina Haroon, as GC&E Manager who comes from the seasoned hospitality market of Egypt. Dina will be ably supported by her Emirati teammate Hend Suliaman Humaid, in her role as GC&E Executive. Rounding out the senior female leads is Priyanka Krishnamurthy as Assistant Marketing Manager who comes to the hotel from another International Brand to help promote the hotel to guests and visitors.
“We’re preparing for our opening, and the teams are making sure everything is in place. It’s an exciting time and we’re looking forward to the first guests getting to meet our team,” concluded Jamwal.
The DoubleTree by Hilton Fujairah City is set to open soon after the finishing touches have been completed.
Neeraja Rahul has been appointed LEAD Engineering aka Chief Engineer at the Radisson RED Dubai Silicon Oasis. She becomes the first female Chief Engineer for the Radisson Hotel Group in the Middle East.
Rahul joins Radisson RED Dubai from their sister property the Radisson Blu Hotel, Dubai Deira Creek. With only 6 years experience in hospitality she’s on a very swift climb to the top. Rahul took her first hotelier steps as an engineering admin at the Radisson Blu and is passionate about effective maintenance programs - she has been overseeing most engineering aspects and increasing efficiency throughout the hotel since joining.
She may be a relative newbie to the hotel business but she’s already an award winner - in 2021 Rahul was the Engineering Person of the Year at the Hozpitality MEA Excellence Awards.
The appointment of Rahul takes the balance of RED Dubai leadership to a 60-40 female/male split.
Stuart Birkwood, Curator aka General Manager at Radisson RED Dubai Silicon Oasis, said ‘We’re excited to bring Neeraja on board with us here at RED. Her technical knowledge and fresh approach will further enhance our engineering team. Female leadership in the engineering discipline is far from common within hotels so we’re delighted to have Neeraja and I’m very much looking forward to her bringing new creative ideas & solutions as part of our 2023 strategy. As a hotel we continue to be dedicated to our diversity, equality and inclusion’
In 2020 Rahul’s dramatic rise thru the ranks saw her appointed as Assistant Maintenance Manager. Since then she has worked on numerous projects to digitalize the usually more mechanical engineering operational tasks in the hotel. Rahul successfully led the implementation of the HotelKit repairs tool which wholly changed the way the hotel executes daily maintenance + repairs requests and measurably improved the communication between hotel departments. She’s also a flag bearer + champion for Responsible Business within Radisson.
Rahul is seen as one of the new pioneers and female rising stars within the Radisson Hotel Group as it strives for Balanced Leadership across its portfolio. In addition to her career ambitions, Rahul is also a wife and as a young mom of an 8-month-old daughter.
Jan Hanak, Managing Director - UAE, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, Radisson Hotel Group & former GM Radisson Blu Hotel Deira Creek comments ‘It’s been great seeing Neeraja growing within our group from a member of the engineering team to Assistant Chief Engineer and now getting her well deserved first Chief Engineer position. I wish her continued success and further development within the Radisson Hotel Group’
Elizabeth Uber will join the company as Chief Operating Officer, effective mid-December. In this position, she will be responsible for all company Operational and Asset Management functions. Liz most recently served as Senior Vice President of Operations at Aimbridge Hospitality, where she oversaw a portfolio of 70 hotels. She previous served as a VP of Asset Management at BRE Hotels & Resorts and as SVP, Revenue, Sales, and eCommerce at Pillar Hotels.
Mike Moore comes to Extended Stay America as Chief Human Resources Officer, overseeing all aspects of human capital including compensation, systems and programs. Mike joins the company from G6 Hospitality, where he served as CHRO and in other human resources functions over a 12-year span. He also spent 13 years at FedEx/Kinkos, where he led Human Resources for 900 retail stores and more than 9,000 team members in its Eastern Division.
John Laplante, Extended Stay America’s new Chief Information Officer, also joins the company from G6 Hospitality, where he served as CIO and in other IT leadership roles for more than 10 years. John’s experience includes nine years in Hospitality IT at Accor North America. He will be responsible for all technology-related functions.
“There are few things more important than deploying the right executive team to lead our growing company into its bright future,” said Greg Juceam, President & CEO, Extended Stay America. “Not only do these individuals bring decades of technical knowledge and experience, they are dedicated, high integrity, collaborative players that will enhance our already talented Executive Leadership Team. These new additions make Extended Stay America an even stronger brand — and I couldn’t be more excited about where we are collectively headed from here,” he said.
JW Marriott Mumbai Sahar is pleased to announce the appointment of Tripurari Singh as the new Director of Food & Beverage. In his new role, he will be responsible for leading operations of food and beverages at the property.
With over 15 years of extensive experience in overall hotel operations and strong background in seven international hotel chains in Singapore, India and Nepal, Tripurari possess proven abilities in communication and stakeholder management.
His professional journey includes leading reputed hospitality brands and working closely with renowned chains like the IHG Group and Starwood Hotels, providing him the knowledge to set priorities and thrive. With a varied experience in multicultural environments, Tripurari Singh maximizes revenue through new and innovative initiatives, customer satisfaction, and employee engagement.
His background in food & beverage operations along with his 4 plus years of pre - opening experience at The Westin and The Leela Kempinski contributes largely to his varied skill set as he has a strong understanding of adaptability to ramp up operations to the highest standards.
At the JW Marriott Mumbai Sahar, he will be instrumental in leading the hotel's food and beverage operations as well as ensuring an elevated experience for guests.
Laurent Gardinier has been named successor to current president Philippe Gombert. He will take over the role on January 1, 2023 following a six-week handover.
Laurent Gardinier, a co-owner, along with his brothers, of Relais & Châteaux Domaine Les Crayères in Champagne, and of Parisian restaurant Le Taillevent, currently represents the association as National Delegate for France and has served as a member of the board of directors for 17 years. As President, as well as honoring the commitments of his predecessor, he will be dedicated to serving our member properties and enhancing the solidarity of the Relais & Châteaux association and the fundamental values it embodies. Assisted by an experienced, complementary management team that shares his ambitions, he will ensure the democratic vitality of the Association while giving teams clear, balanced and ambitious development and performance objectives.
Arch Amenities Group, a full-service global provider of amenity management and consulting services for commercial and residential properties, including spas, fitness centers, meetings and events spaces, pools and private clubs, today announced the appointment of Susan Grey as senior vice president of spa.
Grey, a global operations leader with more than 20 years' experience in the health, beauty and wellness industry, will be responsible for leading the creation of wellness programs within Arch's Spa Division and across the organization. She also will collaborate with the senior leadership team on long-term strategic planning to further enhance Arch's financial performance, guest experiences and operational excellence of its wellness services.
The expansion of Arch's executive team comes on the heels of the company's acquisition of three new wellness business: Innovative Spa Management, Privai and Spa Space.
Grey formerly was vice president of operations for The Well, an integrated wellness center in New York City, where she managed the launch of its flagship location and development of four additional sites. Prior to that, she served private equity firm L Catterton and its portfolio company, Steiner Leisure Limited, in roles of increasing responsibility leading to regional vice president, spa operations.
Among her accomplishments, she led the growth of Bliss Spas, from three locations in New York City and London to 26 global locations, launched a Bliss Spa membership program, managed the Bliss brand's relaunch and was responsible for conceptualizing the Remède Spa brand, a spa exclusive to St. Regis Hotels and Resorts. Earlier in her career, Grey worked as a general manager of the Bliss Soho Spa in New York before becoming an area manager and director of spa operations for Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide.
She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in history at Binghamton University, New York.
Alila Kothaifaru Maldives has welcomed Rohit Pushpavanam, who helms the resort’s culinary team with exceptional skill and expertise honed through over 20 years of experience in the culinary industry spanning India, Dubai, Abu Dhabi and the Maldives.
Holding a Diploma in Hotel Management from IHM Mumbai, Rohit began his career in India. He then went on to work at various prestigious hotels, including One & Only Reethi Rah Maldives, Hilton Abu Dhabi and Cheval Blanc Randheli Maldives, before joining Alila Diwa Goa, India, where he served as Executive Chef for five years.
Taking up the mantle of Executive Chef at Alila Kothaifaru Maldives, Rohit oversees all culinary activities at the island resort. No stranger to the Alila brand, he also continues to be guided by Alila’s core pillar of sustainability, with a focus on fresh, high-quality ingredients that, as much as possible, are sustainably grown or sourced.
In addition, Rohit implements a zero-waste policy. For example, instead of buffet-style dining, daily rotating a la carte breakfast menus and set dinner menus allow guests to indulge in a variety of freshly cooked options while minimising the potential for waste.
Beyond dining and imbibing, guests also have the opportunity to learn about Maldivian cuisine and culture under the guidance of Chef Rohit in immersive Alila Experiences. In the Secrets of Maldivian Cuisine cooking class, guests can try their hand at making traditional Maldivian dishes like fish curry and Kopee Fai Mashuni, learning about the ingredients and preparation methods. Once finished, they can savour the sumptuous meal they have cooked overlooking the gentle waves.
Besides his passion for Indian and Asian cuisine, what keeps Chef Rohit motivated and feeling alive is the opportunity that each new day presents to create fresh gastronomic experiences and delight guests in unexpected ways.
He is also mindful that guests are increasingly conscious of their health and diet, more careful of what they consume and where it is sourced, even more so following the pandemic. As such, Chef Rohit believes that being accommodative of guests’ dietary preferences is key in delivering a surprisingly different experience that embraces a healthier and more conscious lifestyle.
The Bermuda Tourism Authority (BTA) is pleased to announce the appointment of Jamari Douglas as Vice President, Marketing, PR, and Communications. In this newly created role, Douglas will lead the BTA’s efforts in promoting Bermuda as a world-class and welcoming destination for all.
Born and raised in Bermuda and from Deepdale Pembroke, Douglas is no stranger to the BTA, beginning as the organization’s Sales and Marketing Intern and rising through the ranks to serve for several years as the organization’s Digital Marketing Manager. During that time, he managed the BTA’s website, content, and digital media distribution, working closely with all teams and partners to ensure success.
“We feel extremely fortunate to have Jamari back with us at the Bermuda Tourism Authority,” said BTA Interim CEO, Tracy Berkeley. “His deep knowledge of our island and its offerings, along with his proven leadership skills and marketing expertise, will give Bermuda a major boost in the years to come.”
Douglas obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Marketing from Morehouse College in Atlanta, Ga. He also has several Google Training Certifications, a project management certificate from Pace University, and is currently an NYU Stern School of Business MBA Candidate. Most recently, Douglas worked as Marketing Director at the Bermuda Business Development Agency (BDA), where he developed and launched a new brand and facilitated media partnerships along with a robust content strategy. Additional responsibilities include branding and messaging of Work from Bermuda Programme, Climate Risk Finance, and the development of Bermuda’s Climate Hub on the BDA website. He has served on committees: BOPP, Our World Too, and ILS Bermuda.
Douglas spearheaded the BTA’s groundbreaking collaboration with Google, which made Bermuda the first island destination to have its entire jurisdiction on Google Street View. The project won a Platinum Adrian Award for digital marketing innovation from the Hotel Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI) in 2018, one of the travel world’s most prestigious honours.
“I’m thrilled to be back at the BTA, where my career began 13 years ago, and I’m honored to take on the role of Vice President, Marketing, PR, and Communications,” Douglas said. “My extensive experience and expertise in the tourism landscape coupled with my hard work and unwavering commitment to Bermuda guided me to this position. We have a dedicated team of passionate and diverse people. I am also looking forward to re-engaging with local and international partners to grow tourism in Bermuda delivering against our National Tourism Plan.”
Douglas’ role will focus on honing the strategic direction of the BTA’s global marketing and communications programs, including oversight of all international agency partners. He has also headed up the roll-out of a refreshed brand, and the new Lost Yet Found campaign which has been featured in publications in North America, the UK, and Europe and has had impressions of 89.2 million so far. Douglas will be responsible for ensuring that all marketing and communications programs follow the direction of Bermuda’s National Tourism Plan.
About the Bermuda Tourism Authority
The Bermuda Tourism Authority (BTA) is an independent, non-government, entity and the official destination marketing organization for the island country. The Bermuda Tourism Authority (BTA) promotes Bermuda globally as a world-class destination for leisure and group travel and tourism investment. For more information visit: www.gotobermuda.com/bermudatourism.
Maldivian-owned Sun Siyam Resorts introduces new key management roles as well as a recently developed Creative Department to its corporation with Sara Siyam as new Creative Director, Claudia Klingbeil as Director of PR & Communications, and Shammun Mohamed as Director of Digital Communications. The new Creative Department will overlook brand growth, all aspects of branding and visual content, implement new communications and PR initiatives, develop unique experiences as well as resort-based events. The creators behind Sun Siyam Resorts strongly believe in local capabilities and have made it their mission to develop Maldivian talent in the hospitality industry, hence with Sara and Shammun joining the creative department, the company brings highly talented young and experienced locals to elevate the brand.
Sara has worked in Sun Siyam Resorts since 2017, starting her journey on a group-level PR Executive role and quickly developed into the Assistant Manager of PR and Marketing. In November 2020, she started her new role at Siyam World Maldives as the PR and Marketing Manager where she played an essential role in developing the branding, content, PR, and communications aspects of the resort. She worked with her team in launching the brand-new property on October 28th2021. In her new position as the Creative Director at Sun Siyam Resorts, she will determine the creative vision of the group and enhance brand awareness through public relations, advertising campaigns, brand stories as well as unique experiences and events for each of the Sun Siyam properties. Sara will lead the creative department in implementing new strategies and creative goals to boost the Sun Siyam brand globally. She will also be working closely with the Sun Siyam PR and Marketing teams to implement new strategies.
Sara has a Master's Degree in International Tourism and Hospitality, from James Cook University in Singapore and has a passion for creating new innovative ideas and events. Coming from a family with strong tourism and hospitality background and seeing and experiencing the company from within, Sara has an ambitious goal to make Sun Siyam a one of kind and unique local brand that emphasizes on creating and delivering unique experiences.
Sara said “Creating limitless and unique experiences has always been a passion of mine, with this dynamic age, there is constant need for innovation, in terms of branding, and experiences we offer, the messages that we convey through different digital platforms and what makes us unique or stand out from the rest. With five different properties in the Maldives, each unique with their offerings and experiences, Sun Siyam Resorts offers something for everyone and by enhancing our creative side and coming up with new ideas for guests’ experiences and events, we will surely be able to take this company to new heights!”
Originally from Germany, well-travelled, and having lived and worked in Australia, United Arab Emirates, the Maldives, and Europe, Claudia will serve Sun Siyam Resort as a trusted brand and pr advisor in her new role as Director of PR & Communications and will do so from her base in Spain, Europe. She will develop and implement pr and communications strategies as well as spearhead all global Sun Siyam Resorts PR Agencies to boost brand awareness, cultivate relationships with media, press and journalists, as well as effectively drive global PR activities and editorial opportunities.
Being a versatile and accomplished public relations and communications specialist, Claudia comes with more than a decade of hands-on experience within the global tourism, travel, and luxury hospitality industries. She most recently served Sun Siyam Resorts as a Consulting Director of PR & Marketing during the opening of its newest game-changing Maldives island property Siyam World. Claudia also played an integral part of the two luxury island openings of Amilla Fushi & Finolhu Maldives, as well as rebranding Huvafen Fushi Maldives while she held the Cluster Director of Communications role at The Small Maldives Island Co.
Having also worked and lived in the United Arab Emirates, with several PR & Marketing Manager roles at public, private, and corporate sector companies such Radisson Blu or The Abu Dhabi Country Club and Al Maya Resorts, Claudia also comes with film production project management know-how as an added value before she started working as a freelancer and consultant for several start-up and global travel, lifestyle, and hospitality brands to help them excel in their public relations, communications, and branding endeavors.
“Claudia’s expertise and in-depth knowledge of communications and PR will be a major asset in implementing our communications strategy, enhance brand exposure, and take the company to the next level. We are extremely excited to have Claudia on the team, leading our public relations and communications division.“ said Deepak Booneady, VP of Commercial at Sun Siyam Group.
Shammun Mohamed brings with him a new level of innovation and creativity. Shammun has a Degree in Mass Communication from NICC in Bangalore, started his creative journey at Ahmed Fahud Studio, a local advertising firm, and has worked at Sun Siyam Resorts as a PR Executive and as the Cluster PR Manager for Sun Siyam Vilu Reef and Sun Siyam Iru Veli, His true calling and passion lies in the creation of content and storytelling. As the Director of Digital Communications, Shammun will be responsible for developing, managing, and executing communications strategies through all digital platforms and ensure that Sun Siyam digital experiences align with and support its mission, vision, values, brand, reputation, and strategic goals.
Shammun quoted “I am really excited to take on this new challenge, with an amazing team and bright and new ideas we will really be able to create something unique and beautiful here at Sun Siyam Resorts and we want to make sure the World knows it! Working at the cutting edge of technology and innovation across multiple platforms by connecting creative approaches to the business strategy has always been my calling.”
Minor Hotels (MH) has announced the appointment of William Costley as the new senior vice-president of operations for Asia.
In his new role with Minor Hotels, Costley will oversee all MH brands, including Anantara, Avani, Oaks, Tivoli, NH Hotels and NH Collection throughout Asia.
Costley, who is based in Bangkok started in the hospitality sector in his native Scotland in 1983 and built a career spanning 32 years with Hilton. He moved from Dubai where he was based out of Hilton’s Middle East and Africa (MEA) regional office in the position of Senior Vice President Operations overseeing the group’s Arabian Peninsula and Turkey region. Costley moved to the Middle East in 2017 from Asia Pacific where he was based in Singapore as Hilton’s Vice President Operations for Southeast Asia and India for seven years; with a portfolio of 35 hotels spanning 11 countries. Over the years, Costley managed properties in first-tier city and resort destinations from London, Istanbul, Egypt, Sri Lanka and Malaysia.
“As Minor Hotels continues on its path of regional and global expansion, we couldn’t have asked for a more experienced addition to our Asia team,” commented Dillip Rajakarier, Chief Executive Officer Minor Hotels and Group Chief Executive Officer – Minor International. “William’s understanding of Asia’s hospitality and tourism sectors, his global outlook and stellar operational credentials make him the perfect choice for this crucial leadership position. We look forward to working together as the company branches out into medical tourism and brings new brands from our global portfolio to Asia Pacific.”
Minor Hotels (MH), a hotel owner, operator and investor company, currently operates a portfolio of 530 hotels and resorts in 56 countries across Asia Pacific, the Middle East, Europe, the Americas, Africa and the Indian Ocean.
In its Indian Ocean portfolio, Minor Hotels feature 6 properties, Anantara Kihavah Maldives, Anantara Veli Maldives, Anantara Dhigu Maldives, Naladhu Maldives, Niyama Maldives, and newly opening Avani + Fares Resort Maldives in the first quarter of 2023.
