Stephen Banks has been appointed Group Commercial Director at JA Resorts & Hotels
JA Resorts & Hotels has appointed Stephen Banks to the role of group commercial director. In his new position, Banks will oversee all sales, marketing and revenue undertakings. A British national, Banks has developed and maintained a successful career in sales and marketing across the hospitality sector for nearly 40 years. Banks attended Westminster Catering College in London, and began his career in 1977 at Gatwick Hilton and Hilton on Park Lane as sales manager. Following two years as sales and marketing director at Café Royal, he was a part of the relaunch of the Hyatt Carlton Hotel as the Park Hyatt. He then joined Europa Hotels and Leisure Group where he launched the Group’s flagship hotel, the Europa Gatwick. By the end of a seven year tenure with InterContinental Hotels and Resorts, Banks was area vice president, sales and marketing for the Middle East and Africa, overseeing 38 hotels and implementing all corporate marketing programmes and sales office reviews. After moving to Fairmont Hotels as regional director of sales and marketing, Banks launched the Fairmont Dubai and moved the global sales office to its current location at The Savoy London. He also created sales and marketing strategic plans for new hotels, St Andrews Bay, Scotland, Fairmont Monte Carlo, The Savoy, Nile City in Cairo, The Palm, Masai Mara, and Mount Kenya, Nairobi. In the years leading up to his position with JA Resorts & Hotels, Banks enjoyed successful senior roles with Ritz Carlton, Rmal Hospitality, Aldar Hotels, Yas Marina Circuit and Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts. At the latter, he was vice president of sales and marketing for Africa, responsible for strategic operations of 24 hotels.
