Read the latest roundup of U.S.-based hires and promotions in the hotel industry.
Executives
John Helderman
Chief financial officer
Fontainebleau Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Oct. 16, 2023
New hire
Experience: Helderman most recently served as chief financial officer for Las Vegas-based financial services operator The Brennan Entities, and he held a similar role for slot company Bluberi Gaming.
Stacie Michaels
Chief administrative officer
Fontainebleau Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Oct. 16, 2023
Promotion
Experience: Michaels joined Fontainebleau Las Vegas in 2022 as general counsel following more than a decade serving in multiple roles — senior vice president, general counsel and secretary — in the Las Vegas gaming and hospitality industries.
Bruce Grosbety
President
Woodstock Inn & Resort
Woodstock, Vermont
Oct. 13, 2023
New hire
Experience: Grosbety most recently served as vice president and general manager for The Yarrow Group, where he oversaw the daily operations of five hotels in Jackson, Wyoming, and Fort Collins, Colorado.
Andy Burch
Senior vice president of operations
Concord Hospitality
Oct. 12, 2023
Promotion
Experience: Burch joined the company in August 1997 and has taken on positions in all facets of operations including food and beverage, front desk, housekeeping, maintenance, sales, administration, finance and more.
Ben Haller
Senior vice president of operations
Concord Hospitality
Oct. 12, 2023
Promotion
Experience: Haller has been promoted from regional vice president to senior vice president of operations. He has worked in more than 60 hotels across the U.S.
Zoe Lara
Senior vice president of sales and marketing
Palladium Hotel Group
Oct. 11, 2023
Promotion
Experience: Lara was promoted to senior vice president of sales and marketing after successfully serving as the company’s country sales director for Jamaica and the Dominican Republic since 2022.
General Managers
Michael Hogan
General manager
Cincinnati Marriott at RiverCenter
Covington, Kentucky
Oct. 17, 2023
New hire
Experience: In 2009, Hogan joined Winegardner and Hammons as assistant general manager of Marriott Birmingham and shortly thereafter became general manager of Residence Inn Winston-Salem. Since then, he’s been general manager at Embassy Suites by Hilton Lexington, Marriott Cincinnati Northeast and Renaissance Cincinnati Downtown Hotel.
Kevin Shields
General manager
Grand Hyatt Vail
Vail, Colorado
Oct. 16, 2023
New hire
Experience: Shields joins the team most recently from All Points North Lodge in Edwards, Colorado, where he was the director of hospitality and chief operations officer.
Edward Gannon
General manager
The Inn at Little Washington
Little Washington, Virginia
Oct. 11, 2023
New hire
Experience: Gannon joins The Inn at Little Washington after a tenure with Four Seasons Resorts, recently serving as general manager at both Four Seasons Resort and Residences Jackson Hole and Four Seasons Resort Nevis. Most recently, Gannon served as general manager of Stanly Ranch, Auberge Resorts Collection in the Napa Valley.
Sales and Marketing
Desiree Brehm
Director of sales
DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Albuquerque
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Oct. 23, 2023
New hire
Experience: At various properties in the Southwest, Brehm has held roles such as director of operations, rooms director and sales manager.
Leslie Bloznalis-Ellis
Director of group and catering sales
The Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota
Sarasota, Florida
Oct. 19, 2023
New hire
Experience: Bloznalis-Ellis was part of the opening team at the JW Marriott Tampa Water Street in 2013, and then transitioned to the assistant director of sales for the Water Street Collection, successfully leading her team to the South Sales Team of the Year in 2021.
Food and Beverage
Anthony Stagnaro
Executive chef
Stanly Ranch, Auberge Resorts Collection
Napa Valley, California
Oct. 19, 2023
Promotion
Experience: Most recently, Stagnaro served as the chef de cuisine at The Grand Del Mar, a triple Five Diamond Resort in San Diego, California.
Brett LaReau
Executive chef
Four Seasons Resort Oahu at Ko Olina
Oct. 13, 2023
New hire
Experience: LaReau joins Ko Olina from Tableau at the Wynn Resort in Las Vegas as assistant chef, where under his direction the restaurant maintained the Forbes Five Star ranking.
Vincent Savignano
Director of food and beverage
Paséa Hotel & Spa
Huntington Beach, California
Oct. 3, 2023
New hire
Experience: Before joining Paséa, Savignano oversaw the entire food-and-beverage operation at Estancia La Jolla Hotel & Spa as director of food and beverage, following his three-year term as the hotel’s executive chef.
To be included in an upcoming Hotel News Now U.S. Hires and Promotions List, email Associate Editor Trevor Simpson here.