Wyndham Hotel Group has revealed the promotion of Ignace Bauwens to regional vice president for Middle East, Eurasia and Africa (MEA). Based out of Wyndham Hotel Group's office in Dubai, Bauwens has led the Middle East and Africa region since 2016.
His newly expanded role underlines the company's plan to unite the broader region, in recognition of the strong economic ties between India and the Middle East. In this new role, Bauwens will be responsible for driving Wyndham Hotel Group's continued growth in both established and new markets across this larger region.
Bauwens has been working towards expanding Wyndham Hotel Group's portfolio of hotels across the Middle East and Africa, including in key GCC states such as the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. The addition of the Eurasia region to his remit will add responsibility for overseeing expansion in additional high-growth countries including India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.
Bauwens has more than three decades of experience in hotel operations, having previously held leadership roles with Abu Dhabi National Hotels (ADNH), Accor and InterContinental Hotels Group; he also holds a Bachelor's Degree in Hotel Management from Vives Brugges (previously HTI Brugge) in Belgium. He had an early start into the hospitality industry, working at his family's restaurant along the Belgian seaside as a child.
Wyndham Hotel Group expanded its footprint in the Middle East, Eurasia and Africa (MEA) with a number of significant openings throughout 2017 and early 2018, bringing the total number of hotels across the region to 95. This consists of 42 hotels in Eurasia, 45 hotels in the Middle East and 8 hotels in Africa.