Friday 30 January 2026 – Trinity Bridge Friday news briefing
Wishing you a very happy and successful 2026!
We hope you have had a great week. Here’s our roundup of senior people moves across the hotel sector to keep you informed and up to date.
** A round-up of this week’s people moves in the hospitality sector
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Deepak Booneady has been promoted to the role of Group Chief Executive Officer at luxury Maldives-based hospitality group Sun Siyam . He has been with the group since 2019 and has spent the last three years as CEO for Sri Lanka and the Maldives.
Accor has appointed Alexandra Withers as Chief Commercial Officer for Fairmont Hotels & Resorts and Raffles Hotels & Resorts brands. Alexandra joins from Highgate where she served as Executive Vice President and Head of Marketing.
Loay Noar has been named as the new Global Vice President of Brand & Marketing for Kempinski Hotels . For the last three years Loay has held the role of Vice President, Brand & Marketing for Accor’s Fairmont Hotels & Resorts.
Craig Patterson has joined UK hotel management company, Castlebridge Hospitality as the new Managing Director. Craig joins from Cycas Hospitality where he most recently served as Chief Development Officer and in his new role will be responsible for overall strategy and operational performance, supporting the group’s expansion.
Maria Zarraluqui has joined Hyatt in the newly created role of Senior Vice President, Global Hyatt Inclusive Collection Growth & Owner Relations, supporting the growth of the all-inclusive portfolio which currently spans over 150 resorts. Maria previously held the role of Vice President of Global Development for Melia Hotels International.
Airbnb has announced that current Global Head of Real Estate, Jesse Stein will also be taking on the additional role of Head of Hotels as they continue their expansion into the hotel space. Jesse has been with the group since 2020 and has prior experience with Kimpton Hotels, Wyndham Hotel Group and Starwood.
Hilton has announced the appointment of Mark Smith as Hotel Manager for the newly refurbished Doubletree by Hilton, Coventry Building Society Arena . Mark has nearly 40 years of hospitality experience and most recently led the serviced apartment portfolio for Coventry University.
Club Med has promoted Jemma Bridges to the role of Head of Trade Sales for the UK, Ireland and the Nordics. Currently Key Account Manager for the UK, Ireland and the Nordics, she will succeed Marc Lauret who has taken the role of Sales Director for Singapore and Malaysia.
HHM Hotels have announced the appointment of two seasoned leaders to its investment and growth team; Luke Callinan has joined as Senior Vice President of Investments. He most recently served as Principal, Head of Hotel Investments at Kasa Living. Alexandra Lalos Church has taken the role of Senior Vice President of Business Development. She most recently served as Managing Director at Hodges Ward Elliott.
Megha Baluja has joined MGM Muthu Hotels as Director, HR, Global. She brings extensive experience to the role and previously served as Head of Global HR, Talent Management & Culture at BLS International.
Aimbridge Hospitality has announced that Kevin Pickard will be joining L’Auberge de Sedona, a luxury resort in the Arizona Red Rock region as the new General Manager. Kevin previously held the role of Dual General Manager for Aimbridge properties; The Lindy Renaissance Charleston in South Carolina and Atlanta Marriott Alpharetta in Georgia.
Marriott International has announced the promotion of Kevin Vallone to the role of Director of Food & Beverage for the Marriott Hotel Downtown, Abu Dhabi and Marriott Executive Apartments, Abu Dhabi. He has extensive experience in luxury hotels and dining across Europe and the UAE, most recently holding senior F&B roles within Marriott in Abu Dhabi.
Pham Duy Huy has been named as the new Director of Operations for Alma Resort Cam Ranh . Prior to joining Alma, he held senior roles within Vinpearl, Vietnam’s leading hospitality group, most recently with Vinpearl Nha Trang Bay Resort and Villas as Director of Operations.
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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.
Our mission is to help organisations and people succeed. We enable our clients to achieve their goals by giving them access to the best talent from across industries.
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