14 January 2016
Dubai: With the arrival of 2016, Millennium & Copthorne, Middle East and Africa ushers in a new phase with a new executive leadership team at the helm to support the Group's strategic growth across the region and meet its target to have 100 hotels by 2020. The new leadership team, which includes several newly-created roles, consists of high calibre hospitality professionals who will play a vital role in achieving this strategic vision, further elevating the Group's position as one of the fastest growing hospitality companies in the region.

The move follows a successful 2015, with the opening of five new hotels and signing of 16 properties across UAE, Saudi Arabia and Oman. With over 30 hotels under development, totalling more than 15,000 rooms, Millennium & Copthorne boasts one of the Middle East's largest pipelines. Saudi Arabia is central to the Group's expansion strategy, with over 10,000 keys in the pipeline and up to 25 hotels set to open over the next five years.

Mr. Ali Hamad Lakhraim Alzaabi, President & CEO, Millennium & Copthorne Hotels MEA says; "As we embark on an exciting new chapter for Millennium & Copthorne, I am confident that we have the expertise to deliver on our commitment to the continued evolution of strategy and innovation. 2016 will be a critical year for Millennium & Copthorne as we move into the next stage of growth and with a strong leadership team in place we can achieve our goals as well as deliver long-term value to our owners and the highest levels of service to our guests."

The formation of the new team began with Emad Majid joining as Chief Legal Officer early last year and Mr Majid is responsible for overseeing all company legal affairs, regulatory compliance and risk management.

François Kassab has been named Chief Operating Officer (COO), assuming responsibility for the strategic development of the Group. Bringing 18 years of operational, financial and strategic leadership, Mr. Kassab leads Millennium & Copthorne's corporate strategy and has overall responsibility for the Group's hotel operations across the Middle East & Africa. Mr Kassab also oversees the financial operations of the Group and is responsible for setting its financial strategy. Mr. Kassab joins from InterContinental Hotel Group where he successively held a number of senior positions, most recently as Head of Finance and Business Support for Middle East and Africa.

Mr. David Todd has joined as Vice President - Operations, Middle East & Africa. Mr. Todd oversees the hotel operations for the region and is responsible for driving operational excellence and profitability, whilst maintaining quality standards across the hotel portfolio. With over 25 years' experience undertaking multiple executive operational roles, David joins from InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), most recently overseeing the entire IHG operations for the Northern Gulf territory.

Furthermore, Mr. Thomas Grundner has been appointed as Vice President - Sales & Marketing, Middle East & Africa to lead the sales, marketing and revenue function for the region. Mr. Grundner has accumulated over 20 years of expertise having held positions across the world, including Vice President of Sales with Jumeirah Group and more recently as Head of Sales and Marketing with Meydan Hotels and Hospitality. Mr. Grundner's role with Millennium & Copthorne is to drive market share and revenue across the existing portfolio through the implementation of commercial strategies.  

With over 15 years of experience, Mr. Husam Kakish has joined as Vice President - Human Resources. In his newly acquired position, Mr. Kakish is responsible for establishing, implementing and evaluating HR strategies and policies as well as working to expand the Group's regional talent base. Mr. Kakish built considerable experience in a number of senior level positions at MGM Resort International before joining InterContinental Hotels Group as Regional Director of Human Resources - Middle East & Africa.

Finally, Mr. Kevin Cairns has joined as Vice President - Technical Services. Meanwhile, drawing on his vast expertise in pre and post opening hotel projects, Mr. Cairns plays a key role in realising the Group's growth strategy. Mr. Cairns joins from Jumeirah Group where he has overseen the development of multiple hotel projects in the Middle East region from concept to final build. More recently he has led the design direction and creation of design guidelines for the Group's new lifestyle brand.

Mr. Shashi Nair will also continue in his role as Vice President - Finance, overseeing all finance and accounting operations across the portfolio.

About Millennium & Copthorne Hotels Plc
Millennium & Copthorne Hotels plc is a dynamic, global hotel company, which owns, asset manages and/or operates over 120 hotels worldwide. With almost 40,000 rooms worldwide, the company is present on all continents with a portfolio of brands which serve different market segments, representing quality and value in every class.

From a single property in Abu Dhabi, Millennium & Copthorne, Middle East & Africa has expanded into various neighbouring destinations and is now recognised as one of the fastest growing regional hotel management companies in the Middle East & Africa. Along the way, the company has cultivated partnerships with reputable and respected owners. Millennium & Copthorne currently operates 23 hotels, has over 10 hotels due to open within the next year and aims to have 100 properties by 2020 for the MEA region.

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