Germantown, TN- based McNeill Hotel Company (MHC) has appointed Kim Knop, its current VP, sales & marketing, as its new director of business development, where she will work with investor and ownership groups as MHC expands its third-party property management portfolio.
Knop has more than 30 years of hotel experience in various aspects of sales and marketing, including with MHC cofounder Mark Ricketts at MASTER Hospitality and as an area director of sales for Marriott International. She joined MHC in 2015, soon after its founding.
Knop has been responsible for training and working with MHC sales personnel at the property and corporate levels; e-commerce initiatives in conjunction with Ken Parish, MHC director of e-commerce/sales support; and the company’s many community contributions and volunteerism. In her new role, in addition to continuing to work closely with Travis Murray, MHC president, she will report to Brent McDowell, EVP, business development for McNeill Investment Group.
“In the last several years, we have fully built our property management infrastructure to meet the full-service goals of institutional investors, exemplified by our prior relationship with Almanac Realty Investors and our current joint-venture partnership with Prospect Ridge,” McDowell said. “We are now prepared to aggressively expand our third-party property management portfolio, with the goal of adding 25 to 50 hotels under management in the next three to five years.”
He added, “We are extremely pleased that Kim has agreed to take on this enhanced corporate role as we expand in property management; and, also, explore specialty hospitality niches like RV parks and related high-value outdoor lodging platforms.”
“Kim is one of the most dynamic sales and marketing individuals I have known in my more than 30-year hotel career,” said Murray. “Her creativity, drive and leadership embody the McNeill mission of People Serving People. Her people skills and ability to understand and innovate across hospitality disciplines will be tremendous assets in this new role.”
Knop said, “I’m thrilled to be given this unique opportunity to contribute to the next chapter of the McNeill story, as we have become a major player in the world of hotel management. Our teams have a great blend of experience and proven performance, along with responsiveness and passion for this industry, which appeal to owners and investors.”
