Alison Piatkiewicz
Visit Baton Rouge welcomes Piatkiewicz to its team as destination sales manager. She has spent nearly two decades in the hospitality industry, working in roles at the Belle of Baton Rouge and the Sheraton, and the Residence Inn, Towne Center in Baton Rouge. She now will spearhead efforts to market and sell the Baton Rouge area with a focus on state government/public administration, state government associations, nonprofit associations/social service associations and military/veteran organizations.
Simon Firmin
Firmin joins Pendry Chicago as director of sales and marketing. He will implement innovative strategies to garner business from meetings, events and leisure clientele while driving growth and greater awareness to the hotel. He brings 16 years of hospitality experience and most recently served as director of sales and marketing for the Beemok Hospitality Collection.
Gretchen Walker
Walker is appointed director of sales at Montage Deer Valley. She brings over three decades of experience in luxury hotels and resorts, having held roles at Hotel Talisa in Vail, Colorado and most recently at The Ritz-Carlton Bacara in Santa Barbara. She will now be responsible for Montage Deer Valley’s overall revenue and yield strategies as she oversees implementation and results.
John McGinnes
The Reno-Sparks Convention and Visitors Authority (RSCVA) appoints McGinnes to the role of vice president of sales. He will report to the president and CEO as he leads the development and implementation of convention sales and tour and travel sales programs. He will also provide leadership in the development and implementation of long and short-term programs and goals and will develop and administer the budget of the convention and tourism sales teams.
Erik Grazetti
Grazetti joins The St. Regis Chicago as director of sales and marketing. He will lead and direct all sales and marketing efforts for the property, and will head a team of sales, catering and marketing professionals to establish the hotel as a leading luxury property. He has worked in the hospitality industry since graduating from high school and has held positions at Loews Chicago Hotel, Loews Hotels & co., The Peninsula Chicago and Viceroy Chicago.
Sam Basu
Marriott International appoints Basu as the area general manager of Puerto Rico as well as general manager of The Ritz-Carlton, San Juan. With over two decades of experience in luxury hospitality around the world, from the U.S. to Puerto Rico to Central America, Basu is well-equipped to oversee Marriott’s portfolio on the island, liaise with franchise partners, foster relationships with local officials and lead the opening of The Ritz-Carlton, San Juan.
Kate King
International SOS promotes King to the role of director of global travel partnerships from her earlier role as Account Manager. Throughout her career, King has held client management and global sales leadership roles at IHG Hotels & Resorts, and for the past three years, has served as chair of the GBTA Canada Risk Committee. In her new role, she will focus on global and North American travel partnership strategy, and will continue to build relationships and drive growth across the travel industry for International SOS.
Mark Shine
Shine is appointed as director of sales and marketing for The ART Hotel Denver, Curio Collection by Hilton. He will lead the sales and marketing teams to drive sales and maximize opportunities for leisure, business and group travelers. He brings over 25 years of experience in the hospitality industry, having held several sales and marketing roles at prominent hotels throughout Colorado and most recently served as the director of sales and marketing at The Jacquard Hotel & Rooftop.
Christina Pedersen
Dreamscape Hospitality appoints Pedersen as vice president of sales & marketing. She will oversee strategic initiatives to drive revenue growth and elevate the guest experience across Dreamscape’s portfolio. Pedersen brings over 25 years of hospitality experience and has held leadership roles across departments, from operations to sales to commercial strategy and more. She brings a reputation of a strong acumen for commercial services and topline revenue generation.
Jack Xiao
Langham Hospitality Group appoints Xiao to the role of senior vice president of operations in China. Xiao brings a long track record of hospitality success through his past positions with Accor, Wanda hotels & Resorts, Starwood Hotels & Resorts and more. In this role, he will oversee LHG’s mainland China portfolio of hotels and resorts while supervising the group’s teams, including sales, revenue, food and beverage, human resources, finance, marketing and design and technical services.
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