Kirsten Parkins has been appointed as Director of Sales & Marketing at The Ritz-Carlton DIFC
Parkins entered the emirates in 2009 as the F&B assistant manager in Fairmont Bab Al Bahr in Abu Dhabi. She stayed in the capital for two years before joining Fairmont Dubai as assistant director of catering and conference services.
Moving into sales in 2014, she joined Raffles Dubai as corporate sales manager before being promoted to assistant director of sales - corporate. Staying in the role for two years, she trained, coached and led sales teams to meet targets and budgets. She then became director of sales - corporate and groups at the hotel in 2016, holding the post until 2019.
That year, she moved up to cluster director of sales for Raffles Dubai and Sofitel Dubai the Obelisk, where she set up the structure of the Sofitel during its pre-opening phase; leading recruitment, budgets, rate positioning and strategy.
Stepping into Marriott, she joined Sheraton Mall of the Emirates Hotel Dubai in 2020, staying until 2022.
Kirsten Parkins is an alumnus of University of Guelph | School of Hospitality and Tourism Management – Class of 2007.