Mark JefferyWaterton, a U.S. real estate investor and operator, today announced it has appointed Mark Jeffery as general manager of the Sheraton Needham Hotel in Needham, Mass. A 30-year veteran of the hospitality industry, Jeffery will be responsible for overall operations of the 247-key hotel, leading a team of 110 on-site associates.Jeffery most recently spent five years as general manager of the Boston Newton Marriott, repositioning the property through effective management practices and a strategic budget and capital plan that boosted all major financial performance metrics. He previously served as general manager of the Renaissance Boston at Patriot Place Hotel & Spa, leading the award-winning opening of the hotel in 2009. Prior to that, he held various positions with Marriott International Inc., one of which included auditing hotels in the United Kingdom, dating back to 1999. As senior director of operations for Marriott’s Eastern region, his most recent role with the company, he oversaw a portfolio of 43 hotels located between Pennsylvania and Maine, achieving the highest-ever guest satisfaction rating for the area.Jeffery holds a bachelor’s degree in hotel management from the University of Massachusetts Amherst’s Isenberg School of Management. Throughout his career, he has earned numerous awards on both a personal and property level, including “General Manager of the Year” and “Hotel Opening of the Year.” Outside of his professional responsibilities in the hospitality industry, Jeffery has served on the boards of both the Newton-Needham Regional Chamber of Commerce and Arts & Business Council of Boston.