Executives in the hospitality industry have taken new roles. Here’s a look:
Colette Baruth joins Hilton’s all-inclusive division
Hilton has appointed Colette Baruth to the role of VP/commercial director for All-Inclusive Hotels & Resorts in the Americas. Baruth leads a newly formed cross-functional commercial team that will share direct reporting lines with sales, marketing, distribution and regional sales.
The creation of this position and a dedicated new team represents Hilton’s commitment to expanding its all-inclusive category. Hilton’s all-inclusive portfolio includes key properties such as Hilton Playa Del Carmen, an All-Inclusive Resort, in Mexico; and Hilton La Romana, an All-Inclusive Family Resort, and Hilton La Romana, an All-Inclusive Adult Resort, in the Dominican Republic. Additionally, Hilton will welcome its newest all-inclusive resorts, The Yucatan Resort Playa del Carmen, Tapestry Collection by Hilton, and Hilton Cancun, an All-Inclusive Resort, both in Mexico, which are expected to open later this year.
A travel and tourism industry veteran with more than 25 years of experience, Baruth provides leadership expertise in strategic planning and development, brand positioning, marketing, sales and distribution, according to Hilton. Most recently, she served as SVP, global commerce and distribution for the Americas with AMResorts, and previously, acted as VP of global product development, Latin America, for Flight Centre Travel Group USA.
Jerome Briet tapped CDO, EMEA at Marriott
Marriott International Inc. has named Jerome Briet its new chief development officer, Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA), a division within Marriott International that encompasses more than 75 countries and territories. He takes on the role from Carlton Ervin, who has been appointed global development officer for Marriott’s international portfolio.
In this position, Briet is responsible for driving Marriott’s growth trajectory and market position across EMEA, while supporting the company’s global-wide development vision, according to the company. He will work to identify new opportunities for the business, owners and franchisees, and be responsible for shaping the strategic growth plan and leadership of the EMEA development team.
Prior to this role, he was chief development officer, Middle East and Africa. Since joining Marriott in 2012, he has overseen tremendous growth in the Middle East and Africa, including some of the most renowned properties in the UAE such as Bulgari Resort & Residences Dubai, Marriott Hotel & Resort Palm Jumeirah and The Ritz-Carlton properties in Ras Al Khaimah (Al Wadi Desert and Al Hamra Beach Resort).
Briet has more than 15 years of hospitality experience, starting as a night auditor for Marriott Vacation Club in 2003. He then left Marriott, to work at Jones Lang LaSalle, a global commercial real estate services company. Following this, he took up a role with Millennium & Copthorne, where he oversaw development & acquisitions for the Middle East, Africa and India. He rejoined Marriott in 2012 as senior director of development Middle East and Africa, working his way up through different leadership positions within the development team.
Amina Belouizdad joins Summit board
Summit Hotel Properties Inc. has appointed Amina Belouizdad to its board of directors, effective May 13, following the annual meeting of the company’s stockholders. With the appointment, the board will increase to eight members, six of whom being independent, including. Belouizdad. She will sit on the board’s nominating and corporate governance and compensation committees.
Belouizdad is currently the co-CEO of PS (formerly The Private Suite), a high-growth private equity backed company that operates private airport terminals for commercial flights. In the 12 months after she joined PS, the company doubled revenues through an overhaul of commercial strategy including marketing, pricing, product and partnerships. Prior to joining PS, she was a senior director at Lionstone Investments, where she executed more than $1 billion in transactions in multiple real estate classes across the U.S. Previously, she spent six years living and working in China where she was director at China’s first boutique hotel brand, overseeing its development and growth.
Speleos Dravillas appointed chief revenue officer at Nomadix
Technology firm Nomadix Inc. has named Speleos Dravillas chief revenue officer. A hospitality and enterprise communications veteran, he joins the global management team to drive the company’s go-to-market strategy and revenue growth through the execution of technology integration partnerships, strong channel and customer relationships and industry alliances, the company reports.
During his past tenure at Mitel and Percipia, Dravillas launched three different cloud solutions and led go-to-market strategies for direct and indirect sales channels. Prior to these roles, he successfully managed a multi-tiered national sales team for BTI Communications and transitioned sales from a reseller model to a managed service provider (MSP) model featuring “as a service” offerings.
Dalata names Carol Phelan CFO
Dalata Hotel Group plc, the largest hotel operator in Ireland with a growing presence in the U.K., has appointed Carol Phelan as group CFO, effective July 1.
She joined the company in 2014 and was appointed group head of financial reporting, treasury and tax in 2017. Prior to joining Dalata, she held senior finance positions in Ion Equity and KPMG.
