IHG restructures management and hunts for new CMO
InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), owner of the Holiday Inn, Hotel Indigo and Crowne Plaza brands, is restructuring its senior management and parting company with chief marketing officer Tom Seddon.
The company has created a new position of chief executive for Europe and appointed chief operating officer of North America, Angela Brav, to the role. It is also is combining its operations in the Middle East and Africa with Asia Australasia “to leverage scale” in key developing markets.
The company says that it will replace Seddon and is splitting his role on an interim basis in the meantime. It is thought that the CMO role is to shift focus to be more brand-led.
Eric Pearson, currently chief marketing officer, for The Americas and a former Disney marketer, becomes interim global head of brands. Steve Sickel, currently senior vice president distribution and relationship marketing, takes up the role of interim global head of sales and distribution.
IHG former chief executive Andrew Cosslett stepped down at the end of June and was replaced by Richard Solomons.
The shake-up sees Jan Smits, currently head of the Asia Australasia region now take additional responsibility for the Middle East and Africa, becoming chief executive, Asia, Middle East and Africa.
Solomons says: “Angela Brav brings a wealth of franchising and operations experience to Europe and aligning two similar businesses in the Middle East and Asia Australasia under Jan Smits will allow us to leverage our scale more effectively, driving market share growth.
IHG signed up its Holiday Inn brand as a Tier Three sponsor of the London 2012 Olympic Games
