Global Hotel Alliance (GHA), the largest international alliance of independent hotel brands, covering more than 500 hotels across 35 brands in 85 countries, has strengthened its management team with two senior-level appointments.
Franck Kermarrec takes over as Chief Commercial Officer and Nicolas le Roux takes over the newly created role of Head of Marketing and Digital Strategy.
Kermarrec and le Roux will be based at the Alliance headquarters in Dubai and will report to GHA CEO Chris Hartley as part of the Senior Management Team. GHA has a large UAE portfolio that includes 23 properties and seven brands – Anantara Hotels, Resorts & Spas, Avani Hotels & Resorts, JA Resorts and Hotels, Kempinski Hotels, Mysk Hotels, Nikki Beach Hotels & Resorts and Oaks Hotels, Resorts & Suites .
Responsible for the strategic growth of GHA and the acceleration of the company’s development plans, Kermarrec will initially focus on growing the portfolio of brands and partners in all geographies.
Kermarrec brings the role of extensive hospitality industry experience, working in Europe, North America, and Australia. After 10 years in strategy consulting across a wide range of sectors, he moved into the travel and hospitality industry, holding senior roles at IHG and Hertz before moving to Millennium Hotels as Group Chief Marketing Officer and most recently as Chief Operating Officer at Atlas Hotels.
Originally from France, Kermarrec holds an MSc in Management – Major in Strategy and Corporate Finance from Emlyon (France) – as well as an Executive MBA from INSEAD (France / Singapore).
From April 1, 2022, Nicolas le Roux will focus on generating GHA revenue through the reimagined GHA DISCOVERY loyalty program, benefiting from the Alliance’s extensive customer database, optimizing the loyalty program’s digital presence, and increasing member engagement lead.
Le Roux will be responsible for leading the marketing team, owning channels including email, push, website, app, and social media, along with branding and positioning, design, and content strategy. Its key responsibilities will cover GHA DISCOVERY customer acquisition, activation, engagement, experience and analysis.
Originally from South Africa, Le Roux began his career in account management and events, gaining experience in the Travel Corporation, and then being appointed Head of Marketing for Travelport in MEA & South Asia. In his most recent role as Chief Marketing Officer at Mondia Group, he focused on strategic positioning in the mobile technology industry to act as a key partner to optimize profitability and gain market share while benefiting the end-user experience.
Le Roux holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and an IMM in Marketing from the Graduate School of Marketing in Johannesburg.
“I am very excited to fill these two crucial positions with exceptional talent. Now that the hospitality industry is finally starting to recover from the pandemic, our focus is on continuous growth,” said GHA CEO Chris Hartley.
“With new brands such as Sun International joining the Alliance in February 2022 and NH Hotels joining Q2 2022, our hotel portfolio will grow to more than 800 properties in 100 countries worldwide. Franck and Nic will be responsible for to fight the value of joining the Alliance and the benefits of our reimagined GHA DISCOVERY program to independent hotel brands as well as future members.With their extensive travel experience and proven track record of delivering results, Franck and Nic are superb fit for us.- TradeArabia News Service
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