IHG continues to boost Asia Pacific marketing and sales team with seven key appointments

By: InterContinental Hotels Group | 7 Shares 223 Reads

Team additions to drive continued growth and success of IHG's brands in Asia Pacific

July 16, 2008 // Franchising.com // Singapore,- IHG Asia Pacific today announced seven key appointments to its marketing and sales leadership team in the region, specifically designed to drive brand performance and support the accelerated expansion of the IHG brands in the Asia Pacific region.

Jonathan Mills has been appointed vice president of sales, IHG Asia Pacific. He was previously vice president of sales, InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, Europe. An award-winning hospitality sales and marketing executive, Jonathan brings more than 21 years of industry experience to his new role. Jonathan previously held senior sales and marketing positions with both Hilton International and Forte and Le Meridien Hotels.

Edwin Yap Hawson has been appointed vice president, brands for IHG Asia Pacific. Edwin joins IHG directly from Johnson and Johnson where he was responsible for J&J's consumer portfolio of brands. Edwin has also previously held senior marketing management positions at Procter & Gamble in the Philippines, Taiwan and Japan. Edwin's primary responsibility will be championing and continuing to strengthen the IHG brand portfolio and unique guest experience in Asia Pacific.

Communications veteran Eric Lee has been appointed vice president, communications, IHG Asia Pacific, responsible for providing leadership and strategic direction for corporate, brand and internal communications in the region. Eric has over 20 years of experience in public relations and corporate communications and has held both in-house and agency consulting roles, including serving as vice president of communications for Unilever and director for the corporate and financial practice with Burson-Marsteller.

Allan Yip, as head of Hotel Indigo, will be based in Singapore as IHG establishes the Indigo brand in Asia Pacific. The newest member recently added to the IHG brand family in Asia, Hotel Indigo is the industry's first branded boutique hotel experience and is uniquely designed for guests who desire affordable luxury, personal service and an alternative to traditional hotels without sacrificing any of the business amenities they expect.

As the newly appointed director of consumer insights for IHG Asia Pacific, Roshni Pandey will be leading a team dedicated to gaining in-depth understanding of consumers in Asia Pacific. Roshni brings with her more than 10 years of consumer insight and market research experience, both from the client and research agency side.

Bruce Ryde has taken on the role of area director of sales and marketing, Southern Asia and Korea. Bruce started his sales and marketing career with IHG in 2002. He was most recently based in Bangkok as the area director of sales and marketing for Thailand. Bruce will be responsible for developing campaigns to maximise brand performance and stakeholder value for IHG's portfolio of hotels within Southeast Asia, the Indian sub-continent and South Korea.

Sheo Shanker Rai has been appointed manager, public relations and communications for IHG Asia Pacific, responsible for managing media relations across the region on behalf of IHG and its various hotel brands. Prior to this, he served as head, marketing communications, for the Singapore Economic Development Board. He previously worked in public relations agencies and also at the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Gary Rosen, senior vice president, sales and marketing, Asia Pacific, said: "These recent additions to the Asia Pacific Marketing and Sales Team is about continuing to strengthen IHG's position and guest preference in the region. Each new member of the team brings a dimension of experience, expertise and leadership designed to create a next generation guest experience that is unmatched the industry. IHG is privileged and incredibly proud to have such a dynamic Marketing and Sales team in Asia Pacific. The exceptional talent and skill of this team is well poised to drive and support IHG's aggressive growth and leadership position in the Asia Pacific region."

InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) [LON:IHG, NYSE:IHG (ADRs)] is one of the world's largest hotel groups by number of rooms. IHG owns, manages, leases or franchises, through various subsidiaries, almost 4,000 hotels and more than 590,000 guest rooms in nearly 100 countries and territories around the world. The Group owns a portfolio of well recognised and respected hotel brands including InterContinental® Hotels & Resorts, Crowne Plaza® Hotels & Resorts, Holiday Inn® Hotels and Resorts, Holiday Inn Express®, Staybridge Suites®, Candlewood Suites® and Hotel Indigo®, and also manages the world's largest hotel loyalty programme, Priority Club® Rewards with over 37 million members worldwide.

IHG pioneered the travel industry's first collaborative response to environmental issues as founder of the International Hotels and Environment Initiative (IHEI). The environment and local communities remain at the heart of IHG's global corporate responsibility focus. IHG is the first major hotel group to have measured the environmental and carbon footprints of hotels that operate under our brands globally and is in the process of setting reduction targets.

With more than 1,600 hotels in its development pipeline, IHG needs to recruit around 150,000 people over the next few years to meet its global expansion plans.

InterContinental Hotels Group PLC is the Group's holding company and is incorporated in Great Britain and registered in England and Wales.

IHG offers information and online reservations for all its hotel brands at www.ihg.com and information for the Priority Club Rewards programme at www.priorityclub.com. For the latest news from IHG, visit our online Press Office at www.ihg.com/media