Our weekly summary of major executive moves and people news in the worldwide travel industry. Please e-mail any executive announcements to Jaclyn Krischer at jaci@pmgemail.com.
AIRLINES
Hawaiian Holdings, parent company of Hawaiian Airlines, has announced that Peter Ingram has been named chief financial officer by the board of directors. Ingram recently joined Hawaiian Airlines as chief financial officer and will hold the dual responsibility for Hawaiian Holdings. He spent the past 11 years with AMR Corporation, parent company of American Airlines and American Eagle Airlines.
Aeromexico has named Manuel Jaquez as West Coast regional manager of the airline's U.S. Division. Jaquez will direct the sales strategies for the airline's West Coast gateways: Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Ontario, San Diego and Tijuana. He will be responsible for managing efforts that contribute to Aeromexico's overall sales growth, under Carlos De Uriarte, the airline's recently appointed regional director Western, Central and distribution, U.S. Division. Prior to joining Aeromexico, Jaquez served as regional vice president of Latin America and the Caribbean with Mexicana Airlines in Miami. Jaquez also has been area sales manager for LACSA/Grupo TACA Airlines for the West Coast and Canada from Los Angeles.
Southwest Airlines announced that Mike Van de Ven is the new executive vice president of aircraft operations. In his new position, Van de Ven will oversee dispatch, flight operations, maintenance, safety and security, and schedule planning. He is a member of Southwest's Executive Planning Committee and has been instrumental in spearheading Southwest's codeshare agreement with ATA Airlines. Van de Ven replaces Jim Wimberly, who plans to retire at the end of the year.
Alaska Airlines has named Steve Jarvis vice president of sales and customer experience, a newly created position overseeing the distribution and customer care functions previously led by separate vice presidents. Jarvis previously served as staff vice president of e-commerce and distribution, responsible for airline ticket sales across all distribution channels and the airline's website, alaskaair.com. In his new role, Jarvis will extend his leadership to include a range of customer care functions, including the Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan, Alaska Airlines Vacations, airport Board Rooms, and phone and Web support services.
CRUISES
Roxanne Aagaard will retire effective in January 2006, following 18 years as a Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) trainer. Aagaard served as a district sales manager for Holland America Line (HAL) prior to joining CLIA in January 1988. Before her tenure at HAL, she spent 11 years as a district sales manager for Princess Cruises.
HOTELS & RESORTS
Loews Corporation is mourning the loss of Preston Robert "Bob" Tisch, chairman of its board of directors. Tisch succumbed to cancer on Nov. 15, 2005. With his late brother, Larry, his partner of 57 years, Tisch built Loews Corporation into one of the largest diversified financial corporations in the United States. Their first investment together, in 1946, was a small hotel in New Jersey, Laurel-in-the-Pines, which they quickly built into the prosperous Loews Hotels chain. Tisch was also a leader in the sports industry as co-owner of the New York Football Giants, serving for 14 years as the team's chairman and co-CEO.
Accor has announced the following appointments at its hotels in Thailand and Vietnam: Gilles Cretallaz has been named general manager delegate at the Sofitel Metropole Hanoi. Cretallaz joined Accor in 1988 and held senior positions with hotels in French Polynesia and Middle East before relocating to Asia in 1992. Since then Cretallaz has been general manager of hotels in Vietnam, Indonesia, and China, and for the last four years at Sofitel Silom Bangkok. Guy Poujoulat is the new general manager at the Sofitel Silom Bangkok, replacing Cretallaz. He joined Accor in 1994 and was general manager of hotels in Thailand and Vietnam, including two years at Sofitel Central Hua Hin Resort. Poujoulat was most recently general manager of Sofitel Plaza Saigon. Ahmed Hozaien was named general manager of the Sofitel Plaza Saigon. Hozaien has been with Accor for almost 10 years, holding senior positions in Egypt prior to relocating to Cuba. He comes to Asia from Coralia Club Playa de Oro in Cuba where he has been general manager since 2001. Jurgen Kreipl is the new general manager of Sofitel Vinpearl Resort & Spa off the coast of Nha Trang. Kreipl joins Accor from Surin Beach Resort and Kamala Bay Garden Resort in Phuket where he was group general manager for the last year. Prior to this position, he worked in Thailand and Kuwait with Hilton and Le Meridien among other hotel groups.
Trump Entertainment Resorts has appointed Dale Black as executive vice president and chief financial officer, effective Nov. 17, 2005. Black comes to Trump after 12 years at Argosy Gaming Company, serving most recently as senior vice president and chief financial officer, a position he held since April 1998. Frank McCarthy will continue with the company as its executive vice president and corporate controller.
Andre Gerondeau, executive vice president, Central-North America, Sol Meliá Hotels & Resorts, announced that Kai Lamle has been named as general manager of Gran Meliá Mexico Reforma. Lamle studied the hotel business at The Hotel Management School in Germany and at CornellUniversity in New York. He also acquired experience having worked in food and beverage for such hotel chains as Intercontinental, Kempinski and Fairmont in New York, Miami, Toronto and Dubai, among others.
The Bellagio in Las Vegas has named Bart Mahoney its new vice president of food and beverage. In his role, Mahoney will oversee and manage all operations of Bellagio's restaurants and kitchens, which include two AAA Five Diamond restaurants, Picasso and Le Cirque. Mahoney joins Bellagio from its sister property The Mirage, where he directed food and beverage operations for seven years as vice president of food and beverage.
Grand Lodge Resorts in Lake Placid, N.Y., has announced the appointments of Olivier Bottois as chief operating officer and LingRiley as director of sales and marketing. As chief operating officer, Bottois will oversee all operations, sales and marketing, and human resources for Grand Lodge Resorts. Most recently, he was chief executive officer and managing director of Oheka Management Corp. on Long Island. Previously he was General manager of the Lake Placid Lodge, and before that spent 10 years with Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts. As director of sales and marketing, Riley will oversee all aspects of sales and marketing for Grand Lodge Resorts, including its launch. Prior to joining Grand Lodge Resorts, Riley was president and CEO of Lodgistica. She has 25 years of luxury management experience with such hospitality firms as Rosewood Hotels & Resorts, the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, the Garrett Hotel Group, and Lajitas.
MTM Luxury Lodging has appointed Stan Kott as general manager and James Chittenden as director of operations at Alderbrook Resort & Spa in Union, Wash. Previously, Kott was managing director at the Sorrento Hotel in downtown Seattle. Prior to joining the Sorrento, Kott was the general manager at Hotel Edgewater and held several key positions at Kimpton Group, including Seattle city manager overseeing The Alexis Hotel, Hotel Monaco, and HotelVintagePark. Prior to joining Alderbrook as director of operations, Chittenden was general manager at the Apulent Company in Seattle where he managed day-to-day operations, sales, marketing and accounting functions for the event planning firm. Previously, he held positions in food and beverage with the Fairmont Olympic Hotel in Seattle and the Ritz-Carlton in Kansas City, Mo.
Waterford Hotel Group appointed Robert Sighinolfi as general manager of the Hilton Hartford, a $33 million hotel featuring 392 guestrooms, approximately 15,000 square feet of meeting space, and Morty & Ming's, a combination Chinese and New York Deli restaurant. In his new role, Sighinolfi will oversee all operational aspects of the facility, manage all full-time and part-time staff, and will be responsible for revenue and profitability, as well as customer, associate and owner satisfaction. Sighinolfi joins the Hilton Hartford from the 305-room Hilton Long Island/Huntington, where he served as general manager since February 2003 and oversaw a $5 million renovation. Prior to that, he was the general manager of the HolidayInnMacArthurAirport, Holiday Inn-Providence Downtown, and the HolidayInnCrownePlaza.
El Monte Sagrado Living Resort & Spa has appointed Peggy Ryan as director of sales. Ryan will be responsible for all sales at the resort, located in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains in Taos, N.M. Most recently, she spent eight years as director of sales, Western Region for Miraval, Life In Balance. Previously, she was regional sales manager for Canyon Ranch Health Resort in Tucson for six years.
RAIL TRAVEL
Wandrian Inc., a global technology and travel distributor for rail products and services, has appointed Bernard Frelat as its CEO. Mike Fuller, founder of Wandrian, will now serve as president-international, in charge of the company's business development efforts. Frelat previously served as chairman of the Eurailpass North American Committee, president and CEO of the Rail Europe Group, president and CEO of Eurovacations.com and chairman of Euronet Computer Services. Frelat is a special advisor to the French Government for International Trade Affairs and also serves on the International Advisory Board of Maison de la France, the official French tourism organization. Prior to founding Wandrian, Fuller was an entrepreneur in the youth hostel business, the advertising and media production business, and was a key contributor to the development of Travel CUTS and Student Advantage, two leading youth travel related organizations.
TOUR OPERATORS
African Travel Inc., based in Glendale, Calif., has appointed a new East Coast business development manager, Judy Hurst. Hurst previously served with the Tahiti Tourist Board, Amanresorts, The Moorings, Adventure Travel Desk, Conservation Corporation Africa and Small Luxury Hotels of the World.
Dieter Killinger, who has been Abercrombie & Kent's sales director in New York and the Northeastern United States since 1990, is retiring after 15 years with the luxury travel company. Before joining A&K, he worked for several cruise lines, including North German Lloyd and Society Expeditions, and the Jamaica Tourist Board.
TRAVEL AGENTS
Carlson Wagonlit Travel (CWT), the business travel management company, announced the appointment of Isabelle Koch as vice president, corporate and marketing communications. In addition, Kim Derderian was named to the newly created function of director, media and industry consultant relations. Koch will report to Hubert Joly, president and chief executive officer, and to Martin Warner, executive vice president, global account management and solutions. Derderian will be a member of Koch's team. Both of these global positions are based in Paris. Koch brings vast travel-industry experience to her latest position at CWT. She first joined the company in 1999 as vice president, sales and marketing for CWT France. In her most recent CWT position, she was vice president, sales and marketing EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa). Koch, a French citizen, has also worked in sales and marketing and general management for British Airways, Air France, and Disneyland Resort Paris. An American with international communications experience, Derderian has worked in international communications in France for nearly 14 years. She has experience in media relations, advertising, event planning, television and publishing. She previously worked for Automobiles Peugeot in the United States and France, for the automotive supplier Valeo and for Apple Computer Europe. Her early experience includes managing communications for the Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau and for upscale companies in the leisure-travel market.
TRAVEL TECHNOLOGY
Worldspan has named Lorraine Jackson as regional manager-Canada responsible for the company's travel agency and corporate relationships in that region. Jackson joined Worldspan in 2004 as account manager for Canada. Prior to joining Worldspan, Jackson served as business development manager for Sabre Travel Network's Canada Corporate Sales, where she was responsible for business planning and developing multi-channel revenue opportunities.