RoomIt by CWTÒ, the hotel distribution division of Carlson Wagonlit Travel, the leading global travel management company, has appointed Jack Staehler as its new Chief Technology Officer.Staehler will be based in RoomIt's Chicago headquarters and join both CWT's Product & Technology and RoomIt leadership teams.
Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP®), will honor Sean Van Dyke, CHTP as the 2018 Certified Hospitality Technology Professional (CHTP®) of the Year at HITEC Houston this June. The CHTP of the Year award honors the individual that scored the highest on the CHTP certification exam within a given year. HITEC Houston, HFTP's second and largest HITEC of 2018, will take place from June 18-21 at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston, Texas USA.
Alterra Mountain Company is announcing the appointment of Jamie Williams as Chief Information Officer.Jamie will lead Alterra Mountain Company's strategic technology vision and will work with the executive team to analyze business needs and develop a multi-year vision and plan, utilizing new technologies to create innovative new processes and products at the company's headquarters and its 12 destinations.Jamie holds a Master of Science in Information Systems Technology and is the recipient of several awards including: Red Hat Innovation Award in 2012, CIO 100 Award in 2014, and Amdocs Innovation in Practice Award in 2017. He brings with him over 22 years of experience solving challeng ing business problems with technology. He has a deep understanding of cyber security, technology selection and implementation, vendor technology integration, software development, as well as business intelligence and analytics.Most recently, Jamie was the CIO of Rogers Communications in Toronto (Canada) where he was responsible for all aspects of Information Technology across Rogers' diverse businesses and divisions. During his tenure, he and his team deployed many innovative technology solutions that helped lead the company to a 60% increase in share price since October 2014. Prior to his position at Rogers Communications, Jamie spent 16 years at SPRINT in Kansas City, where he went from Manager of IT Development & Release Management to VP of IT Application Development & Operations.
Having worked in the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) industry for more than ten years, Nabeel brings with him extensive experience in planning, implementing and managing software applications and hardware infrastructure to support operations. As an ICT Manager, he oversees system integration and designs of networks to ensure Banyan Tree's ICT standards are upheld across all phases of Banyan Tree Kuala Lumpur's pre-opening and future operations. He has been with Banyan Tree group since 2011.
Brian Kirkland is the chief technology officer for Choice Hotels International, Inc., one of the world's largest hotel companies. In this role, he oversees the company's information technology organization, and is responsible for leading overall IT strategy, infrastructure and development, all aligning with Choice's business objectives.
Yvette Vincent serves as Delaware North's first-ever chief technology officer, a position based at the company's global headquarters in Buffalo, N.Y. As CTO, Yvette is responsible for creating the vision, strategy and roadmap for the company's technology platforms including POS, cloud architecture, SOA and DevOps.
Marwan Al Ali is the group chief information officer of Jumeirah Group, a global luxury hospitality company and a member of Dubai Holding. Marwan's responsibilities range from being a business enabler, deploying IT cross-functional solutions with a special focus on innovative strategies and driving business profitability with customer centricity.
Hilton (NYSE: HLT) today announced the appointment of Noelle Eder as executive vice president and chief information and digital officer. Effective March 19, Eder will oversee the continued digital transformation benefiting the guests and team members of the world's most hospitable company. "You don't get to be a leader in hospitality and digital technology without focusing first on your guests," said Jon Witter, chief customer officer. "From smartphone capabilities like Digital Key to connected rooms that allow for integrated entertainment, temperature and lighting controls, Hilton is leading the way with game-changing technologies. With Noelle at the helm, we are excited to embark on the next chapter of our digital and mobile transformation." Eder brings to Hilton a unique cross section of business acumen, deep technical knowledge and customer-facing experience. As chief card customer experience officer at Capital One Financial Corp., she was responsible for leading the digital transformation of Capital One's customer experience for the company's $15B credit card business. Eder also spent 9 years at Intuit, most recently as senior vice president and chief customer care officer. During her time there, she led one of the largest technology platform transformations in the company and developed their Customer Care strategy. Eder holds a Bachelor's degree from Boston University. She will be based in Hilton's global headquarters in McLean, Virginia and report directly to Jon Witter, chief customer officer.
Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE: CHH), one of the world's largest hotel companies, announced the promotion of Brian Kirkland to the position of Chief Technology Officer. In this new leadership role, Kirkland will oversee the company's overall information technology strategy, development and operations. He will report directly to John Bonds, senior vice president, enterprise operations and technology. Kirkland has been a key member of Choice's technology innovation team since 2015, which is based in Phoenix, Ariz. He previously served as vice president of engineering. Recently, Kirkland notably led Choice's efforts to successfully design and launch the industry's first new global reservation system in 30 years, choiceEDGE. Prior to joining Choice Hotels, Kirkland held leadership and software development positions at leading technology companies, GoDaddy and Media Temple. Kirkland earned his bachelor's degree in computer science and a master's in business administration from Arizona State University. He is also a member of Arizona's Information Technology Authorization Committee (ITAC), as well as Arizona State University's Executive Council for the Department of Information Systems.
Cheyne Manalo has been named assistant vice president of information technology (IT) for Aqua-Aston Hospitality. Based in Honolulu, Hawaii, Aqua-Aston Hospitality is a leading hotel and resort condo management group.
Mike Hall has been appointed as Vice President of Infrastructure, Compliance and Security of Xn protel Systems to reflect the increasing importance and complexity of data security and compliance. An important part of Mike’s role will be to act as Data Protection Officer (DPO) to ensure that Xn protel Systems complies with all aspects of the new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which comes into force in May 2018. As DPO he will also have the responsibility to ensure that Xn protel’s software applications provide its clients with the appropriate functionality to help them achieve GDPR compliance within their own businesses. Mike is an active contributor to the newly formed HTNG GDPR for Hospitality Work Group.
David Derbyshire – Director IT Service Delivery, EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) Field Technology Services, Hilton Worldwide – is the newly elected Chair of the HOSPA IT Community Committee. He succeeds Bryan Steele, Managing Director of Jireh-Tek, who has relinquished the voluntary role after six years of dedicated service and commitment.
Castellino joins Marcus Hotels & Resorts with nearly 25 years of experience in IT systems administration and strategy. In his new role, he will provide strategic technology direction and support for the company. Prior to joining Marcus Hotels & Resorts, he served as chief information officer for Great Wolf Resorts, Inc. in Madison, Wis., where he oversaw strategic technology direction, information technology management and technology brand standards. His career includes serving as vice president information technology for Interstate Hotels & Resorts and serving as director of IT support services for MeriStar Hospitality Corporation. Castellino received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Pune in India. He holds a master’s degree in marketing from Symbiosis Institute in India and a master’s degree in management information systems from the University of Dallas.
HMH – Hospitality Management Holding has announced the appointment of Ms. Hala Al Ramadhi as the group’s new Director of Technical Services. Ms. Al Ramadhi brings over 15 years of outstanding experience and expertise in managing and delivering multiple hotel projects. In her new role, Ms. Al Ramadhi will liaise with various project teams including all required consultants, contractors and suppliers to provide technical services input across the group’s various projects. Drawing on her knowledge and experience she will ensure that all projects are developed in compliance with HMH and internationally recognized standards and procedures. Ms. Al Ramadhi began her career in 1998 as an Architectural and Interior Design Assistant with Gensler in London. Working her way up, she subsequently gained valuable experience with a number of prestigious architectural firms in the UK such AJP Frankham and WAT&G before moving to the UAE in 2007. She then joined Aldar Properties PJSC, Hotels & Hospitality as Design Manager. A British national, Ms. Al Ramadhi holds a degree in Architecture from De Montfort University in Leicester in UK. She completed a thesis project in Tailoring & Architecture from University College Dublin in Ireland followed by a professional diploma in Architectural Practice, Construction Legislation, Procurement and Contracts from the same institute. Ms. Al Ramadhi has a strong interest in how sustainable practices can be incorporated into all architecture and qualified as a Certified Passive Designer by the Passive House Institute (PHI), Darnstadt in Germany.
KEYPR®, the leading cloud-based technology platform for the hospitality industry providing an integrated end-to-end experience for guests and staff through embedded and mobile devices, announced today Philippe Dias has joined the company as CTO. As CTO, Dias will oversee KEYPR’s platform and technology strategy to deliver innovative and robust products and services to customers. Dias will lead KEYPR’s North American and European based engineering and product teams.
Onyx CenterSource, the world's leading provider of hotel commission payment and recovery services, today announced the appointment of Steve Reynolds as chief information officer.
A key member of the management team at Amwaj Rotana Jumeirah Beach, Dubai - Rabih Merhy - has been promoted to cluster positions where he will manage the operations of additional hotels in Dubai.
Global hospitality software business Guestline announces the appointment of Andrew Metcalfe to the new role of chief technology officer and a commitment to double its UK-based development team. The senior appointment for the business, and ambitious growth plans, come as Guestline expands further to support a more diverse range of new clients, including large hotel groups, universities, a wide selection of serviced accommodation providers and a growing number of international hotels.
Steitz will lead software development and technology strategy at Pegasus, bringing the company expertise in building first-class technology and high-performing development teams.
Millennium Hotels and Resorts is pleased to announce the appointment of Howard Wu to President of North America and Chief Technology and Solutions Officer.