John Bamsey Takes InterContinental COO Position
JANUARY 18, 2007. InterContinental Hotels Group has announced that John Bamsey has been appointed as the Chief Operating Officer for the Middle East and Africa, with effect from April 1.
Based at the company's MEA corporate office in Dubai, John will continue to report into Richard Hartman, IHG's Managing Director EMEA. Currently in the position of Chief Operating Officer UK & Ireland, John has been with IHG since 2001 and has more than 12 years of senior management experience in the hotel industry with companies including Hilton and Le Meridien.
It is this depth of experience and expertise which will prove to be invaluable in the rapidly developing markets of the Middle East and Africa. IHG is growing in this region to meet the demands of the business as IHG grows to meet its own development targets of adding 50-60,000 new rooms to its estate in three years.
Richard Hartman, IHG's Managing Director EMEA, said of the appointment: "In 2003 John moved to our UK and Ireland operation and in that time he has completely transformed the region into a vibrant, profitable and exciting operation. It is his drive and sense of purpose that I know will make him an excellent leader for IHG in the Middle East and Africa, where he will work well with all stakeholders in our business including owners, investors and hotel management and staff. An announcement will be made shortly relating to John's replacement in the role of Chief Operating Officer UK & Ireland."
During his time in the UK & Ireland division of IHG, John also presided over the sale and management of more than 80 hotels that the company formally owned and now manages on behalf of investors.
Commenting on the move, John said: "The Middle East and Africa is a dynamic and rapidly changing market and I am excited about leading IHG's business in the region to support the company's business growth and development, and working with the excellent team that is in place in the region.
I have greatly enjoyed working in my current position and know that I leave a strong team in place who are focussed on delivering excellent growth and returns for IHG's UK and Ireland estate.
"Having been a regular visitor to Dubai throughout the past 10 years, I am looking forward to being a part of the dynamic growth and excitement of the city. We have a number of major developments in the region including the opening of three properties at Dubai Festival City, the re-opening of the InterContinentals in Abu Dhabi and Muscat this year after extensive refurbishment, as well as the CityStars project in Cairo. I am looking forward to building relationships to further increase our presence in the region."
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