Look Who’s On the Up & Up

November 12, 2024

Have those galoshes ready because some of you are getting your feet wet in new positions this fall. Congratulations!

Industry professionals around the world are moving up and moving on into new positions that promise to enhance the hospitality experience for meeting and incentive travelers.

COMO Hotels and Resorts has appointed Birgit Albicker-Rimpel as Senior Global Director of Sales for the Americas, and Cataline Richmond as Director of Global Sales, for the West Coast, working in tandem with Erica Cordon and Linda Linzetto, to manage sales strategies across the Americas. With more than 30 years of global hotel sales experience, Albicker-Rimpel has helmed sales leadership positions across prestigious hospitality groups including Kempinski Hotels, Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group and Deutsche Hospitality Group. As the new Chief of Sales for the Americas, she will reinforce sales efforts on driving revenue and strengthening trade partnerships and yield through focused account management.

Eden Roc Cap Cana recently welcomed Sergio Rodrigo De Belder as Rooms Division Manager. A hospitality professional hailing from Malaga, Spain, De Belder is a graduate of the esteemed Les Roches Hotel Management School and brings a wealth of experience cultivated at world-renowned luxury properties, including the Four Seasons Hotel Prague, One&Only Palmilla in Los Cabos, and One&Only Portonovi in Montenegro. His expertise in hospitality coupled with a passion for travel, nature, and gastronomy, promises to elevate the guest experience and further enhance the guest experience of Eden Roc Cap Cana.

Tree-Fan Events has announced that its founder, Anca Platon Trifan, has been appointed Senior Manager, Strategic Partnerships, Event Technology & AI at Meetings & Incentives Worldwide, Inc. After 20 years in event production and technology, and eight successful years lending Tree-Fan Events, Anca brings deep expertise to this position and will be leading strategy, positioning, contract negotiations and onboarding for M&IW’s event technology partners. Working closely with clients and internal stakeholders, Anca will provide guidance on selecting and integrating the latest technology solutions to elevate program goals and enhance attendee engagement.

Park Hyatt New York , the five-star award-winning hotel located on Manhattan’s Billionaires’ Row, has welcomed a new Director of Sales & Marketing—Vincent De Croock—who will focus on growing strategic accounts, cultivating key relationships and further strengthening the hotel’s reputation as a leading luxury destination. This year the flagship hotel of the Park Hyatt brand celebrates its 10th anniversary with a transformative renovation and the addition of the Manhattan Suite, a new 3,500-sf guestroom on the hotel’s 25th floor. With over 15 years of experience within the Hyatt portfolio, De Croock was most recently the Director of Sales & Marketing for Grand Hyatt Scottsdale Resort.

Mandarin Oriental has announced the appointment of Amanda Hyndman to the position of Chief Operating Officer following the retirement of Christoph Mares. At this time, she will also continue in her current role as Chief People & Culture Officer. Hyndman’s career spans over 30 years in the luxury hotel industry and she has been with the Group for 18 years. In that time, she has held several senior management roles in Mandarin Oriental hotels in the UK, Hong Kong, Bangkok and Washington DC as well as Area Vice President roles overseeing hotels in the UK, Germany, Czech Republic and Switzerland and thereafter Hong Kong, Macau and Southern China.

The Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay in San Francisco has announced the appointment of Sandeep Kumar as the new Hotel Manager. Prior to joining this premier Forbes Five-Star oceanfront resort, Kumar held key leadership positions at such renowned luxury hotels as the JW Marriott Grosvenor House in London and The Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Hong Kong. His expertise in hotel operations, food and beverage, and pre-opening projects will be instrumental in further enhancing the resort’s reputation.