Friday 11 July 2025 – Trinity Bridge Friday news briefing
We hope you have had a great week. Please see below our round-up, keeping you up to date and informed about senior people moves from across the hotel sector.
** A round-up of this week’s people moves in the hospitality sector
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Four Seasons Yachts , due to launch their first ship in 2026 under a joint venture with Marc-Henry Cruise Holdings, has announced the appointment of Ben Trodd to the role of Chief Executive Officer for Marc-Henry Cruise Holdings Ltd. Ben joins from AMAN where he served as COO but previously held a long tenure with the Four Seasons group including, most recently, SVP of Global Sales & Marketing.
David Gelhaar has been announced as the new Hotel General Manager for The Newt , in Somerset. David joins from his role as Director of Front of House at Chiltern Firehouse which closed following a fire earlier this year.
Highgate has appointed Pete Sams into the newly created role of President, overseeing optimising business performance across the group’s portfolio of 500 properties. Pete most recently held the role of Chief Operating Officer for Peregrine Hospitality, formerly KSL Resorts.
Frasers Hospitality has appointed Darryl Walker as the new Commercial Director, EMEA – a newly created role to strengthen the group’s position across the region. Darryl has held a number of key leadership roles in hospitality, most recently leading the global distribution strategy for edyn.
Marriott International have announced the promotion of Mark Shrives to the role of Vice President, APEC Digital, a newly formed leadership role to oversee the integration of Marriot Digital Services and Digital Products teams into a unified organisation. He has served as Senior Director, Client Services, MDS APEC for nearly six years.
Nizar Wishah has been appointed as Area Vice President for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for Hyatt , while continuing in his current role as General Manager of the Grand Hyatt Al Khobar Hotel and Residences.
Jason Reader has joined Davidson Hospitality Group as Chief Operating Officer, bringing more than 25 years of hospitality experience to the role, having previously served as Chief Operating Officer for Remington Hospitality.
Growing Indian hospitality brand, IHM Group of Hotels has announced the promotion of Ajay Shinde to the role of Executive Director from his previous role as General Manager at Goa Villagio Resort and Spa. Ajay’s promotion will support the group’s growth across Goa and other regions.
CoralTree has announced several key leadership appointments for Black Desert Resort ahead of the opening in September; Nicholas Gold has joined the team as Managing Director, from his previous role as VP at 1 hotel Hanalei Bay in Hawaii. Ryker Brown takes the role of Director of Food & Beverage, bringing more than 25 years of culinary experience from luxury resorts including Omni Hotels and Waldorf Astoria. And Brandon Hendricks has been appointed Vice President of
Sales & Marketing, most recently serving as VP of Commercial Strategy for Kohler Hospitality.
Amanda Cottome has taken the role of Director of Operations, Pacific for La Vie Hotels and Resorts . Amanda brings more than 23 years of senior leadership experience across hospitality operations, service excellence and team development.
Milu Holding has announced the promotion of Angela Focareta , expanding her role as the current General Manager for Hotel Calimala, Florence to include management of Hotel Milu, Florence.
Marriott International has appointed Manabu Kusui as the founding General Manager of Hotel The Mitsui, Hakone scheduled to open in 2026. Manubu has been instrumental in the launch and leadership of Hotel The Mitsui, Kyoto since its pre-opening phase and will continue to serve as Cluster General Manager for both properties.
Nick Downing has taken the role of General Manager for The Langham, Custom House, Bangkok . Nick was most recently General Manager for The Siam in Bangkok.
Spice Island Beach Resort , Granada has announced the promotion of Sheldon Keens-Douglas to the role of Resort Manager, from his previous position as Commercial Director which he has held since January 2024.
Dromoland Castle Resort , an iconic luxury property in County Clare, has welcomed Florian Lay as the new Director of Food & Beverage. Florian has held key roles for the openings of several of Dubai’s most well-known hotels, most recently serving as Director of Food & Beverage at Kempinski, Mall of the Emirates.
Damon Wright has taken the role of Director of Beverage & Food for W, Dubai – The Palm , joining the property from his previous position in the same role for W, Yas Island, Abu Dhabi.
Sandos Hotels & Resorts has announced the appointment of Javier Polanco as Corporate Director of Sales. Javier most recently served as Country Sales & Marketing Director for Palladium Hotel Group.
The Fern Hotels & Resorts has announced strategic leadership appointments across the group including Austine Fernandes to the role of Director Human Resources after eight years with the group. Shreyas Sawant and Chetan Chavan have both been appointed Director of Revenue.
Accor has announced that Shibli Mallick has been appointed Director of Sales for ibis Styles, Mysuru and Grand Mercure, Mysore. Shibli joins from Courtyard by Marriott, Siliguri where he played a pivotal role in enhancing sales performance.
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Trinity Bridge is an Executive Search firm specialising in the hospitality, travel and leisure sectors.
We operate globally and build leadership teams for both multinational and domestic companies. We advise listed and privately owned businesses, as well as the portfolio companies of private equity funds and family offices.
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