Chema Basterrechea

Chema Basterrechea serves as the Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer at Radisson Hotel Group and is based in the EMEA headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, reporting directly to Federico J. González, President and CEO of Radisson Hotel Group. Basterrechea is responsible for all operational and commercial matters including brand standards implementation, operating procedures, commercial activities, Hotels and Areas P&L’s, introduction of operating models and organizational efficiency, and improvement of the company’s profitability and brand awareness. He also works to identify new market segments and helps to expand the existing customer base of the group. His direct reports include Radisson Hotel Group’s Senior Area Vice Presidents across Europe, Russia, Middle East and Africa, as well as the corporate leaders of Operations, Franchise Services, Asset Management, Food and Beverage, Revenue Management, eCommerce, Marketing and Sales across EMEA. Basterrechea has more than two decades of successful experience providing strategic and operational leadership in the hospitality industry. As former Chief Operating Officer of NH Hotel Group and Chief Executive Officer of NH Hotel Group Italia, he brings a strong track record of performance in turnaround and fast-paced organizations. His keen insights team approach and strong customer-centric philosophy drive organizational improvements and best practices implementation. He has led several M&A processes in different countries. Basterrechea is fluent in English, Spanish and Italian, and holds a master’s degree in business finance from the University of Wisconsin in the U.S. and a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Oviedo in Spain. He also is a graduate of the London Business School’s Senior Executive Program, IESE Business School and Dublin City University. He has been a member of Comitato Investitori Esteri Confindustria, the Italian Association of Chief Executive Officers (AICEO) and the Chamber of Commerce of Spain in Italy, where he has served as a board member since 2008. He also is a board member of Confindustria AICA (Association of Italian Hotel Companies) and a founding member of the Italian chapter of the 30% Club: Growth for Diversity.