Read the latest roundup of hotel industry hires and promotions in the Europe, Middle East and Africa region.
Anja Bachmann
Bachmann has been appointed head of development for Germany and the Netherlands at EasyHotel. It is the company’s first appointment in its new office targeting growth in those two nations. Bachmann comes to the British firm from The Embassies and Meininger Hotels, where she was an executive of international development.
Karolina Lasinska
Lasinska has been promoted to general manager at the Hotel Sanders in Copenhagen as general manager. Part of Kolpin Hotels, the property has 54 rooms. Lasinska started at the hotel in 2018 as a receptionist and worked her way up the ranks from the front desk to front of house supervisor to director of operations and now to the general manager role.
Kathleen Hedges
Hedges has been named general manager at the 158-room Hampton by Hilton Sandton Grayston, South Africa. which opened In November and is the first of the brand in Africa. Hedges has previously held roles at brands Voco Hotels and IHG Hotels & Resorts.
Juha Mähönen
Mähönen has been named as the CEO and general manager of the 117-room Hotel Maria in Helsinki. He comes from a 12-year stint as managing director of the Hotel Haikko Manor & Spa, close to the small Finnish city of Porvoo and 30 miles to the northeast of the Finnish capital.
Trix van der Vleuten
Van der Vleuten has joined Amsterdam-based hotel firm The Social Hub as chief marketing officer. She previously worked as head of global brands and marketing strategy at electronic-goods firm Versuni.
Timur Sentuerk
Sentuerk has been appointed CEO of Irish hotel firm The Doyle Collection. He arrives from his role as chief operating officer at Kempinski Hotels and thus has moved from Geneva to Dublin.
Joe Pettigrew
Pettigrew has been named as group chief commercial officer at L+R Hotels, also known as London & Regional Hotels. Based in London, he arrives from Starwood Capital Group where he was chief commercial officer of hotel asset management.
Marielle Vroemen
Vroemen has been promoted to head of operations at Choice Hotels Europe, Middle East and Africa. She has been at the firm’s Amsterdam office since 2023, which she joined after four years at Marriott International. She has also worked at Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company and Shangri-La Hotels & Resorts.
Sam Murphy
Murphy has joined Whitbread PLC’s ownership division Whitbread Property as project and program manager. He has been tasked with expanding the firm’s hotel brands, including Premier Inn, in London and the southeast of England. He joins the firm from infrastructure and building business advisory AECOM.
Ewan Grant
Grant has been named general manager of the 33-room Gleneagles Townhouse, part of Accor division Ennismore. Grant comes from a food-and-beverage hospitality background, notably as general manager of the Marlow, England-based Ivy Collection.
Simon Spiller
Spiller will become the general manager of the 247-room Grand Resort Bad Ragaz in Bad Ragaz, Switzerland beginning in March. Spiller’s last role was as general manager at the Eden Roc Ascona, also in Switzerland, and he has had hotel roles in Germany, Canada, United Arab Emirates and the U.S.
Elena Black
Black has been appointed senior vice president of marketing at British firm Rocco Forte Hotels. She arrives from 13 years at IHG Hotels & Resorts’ brand Six Senses, where her last role was head of global luxury and lifestyle marketing.
Mark McSorley
McSorley has been named resort general manager at the 97-room Dromoland Castle Hotel and 155-room Inn at Dromoland, two adjacent properties on the outskirts of Newmarket on Fergus, County Clare, Ireland. He begins in February and arrives from the same position at resort Quinta do Largo, Portugal.