Hotel executive moves: Accor, Capella, IHG, Mullen

Here is a compilation of the most critical executive moves of the past week in the hotel investment world, alphabetically (by company):

HR head for Accor. Accor has appointed Laurent Choain as its new global chief people and culture officer, effective April 1, 2026. In addition to his global role, Choain will also serve on the Premium, Midscale & Economy Executive Committee. His career includes senior roles at Forvis Mazars, Groupe Caisse d'Epargne (now BPCE), and Kempinski Hotels & Resorts.

Ashford CFO stepping down. Ashford Inc. has announced that CFO Deric Eubanks will retire in June following a 23-year career with the company and its predecessor. He will also step down at the company’s advised REITs, Ashford Hospitality Trust and Braemar Hotels & Resorts, effective March 31. Justin Coe, Ashford’s current chief accounting officer, will assume the role of principal financial officer. To ensure a smooth transition, Eubanks will continue to assist the company as senior managing director with financial and transitional matters until June 30. Afterward, he will continue to remain available as an advisor as needed.

New president at Capella. Singapore-based Capella Hotel Group has appointed veteran luxury hotelier Roland Fasel as president,  effective April 6. He was most recently group COO at Maybourne Hotel Group. Before Maybourne, Fasel spent six years as COO at Aman Resorts and also worked at Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts and Shangri-La Hotels & Resorts.

Davidson appointments. Davidson Hospitality Group has announced two corporate appointments: Andrew Houghton joins as senior vice president, Luxury Operations, and Scott Harrell has been named vice president, Acquisitions & Business Development. Houghton most recently served as Task Force managing director and general manager at various resorts in the Davidson portfolio. Harrell served in a similar business development and investment role at PM Hotel Group.

Frasers names COO. Singapore-based Frasers Property has named Tony Lombardo as COO. Lombardo will take up the newly created role on October 1 and will be based in Singapore. The hiring comes less than a month after Lendlease said that Lombardo, the former CEO of Lendlease Asia, would leave the company.

New CALA leader for IHG. IHG Hotels & Resorts has appointed Michael Hoe Knudsen as managing director for Mexico, Latin America & the Caribbean (MLAC), following the retirement of leader Jorge Apaez. Knudsen brings three decades of global hospitality experience across the Americas, Europe and Greater China. He began his IHG career in 1996 and has held leadership positions  across the U.S., Brazil, Venezuela, Argentina and Jamaica. Most recently, he was based in the company’s Greater China region.

New IHG leader for UK&I. IHG Hotels & Resorts has appointed Neetu Mistry as managing director for its U.K. and Ireland (UK&I) estate. Neetu will oversee more than 400 open and pipeline hotels, lead the continued growth and performance of the UK&I and strengthen partnerships across IHG’s diverse owner community. She previously served as an owner representative for one of IHG’s regional councils. In the UK&I, IHG has more than 400 hotels open and pipeline hotels across 11 brands.

Langham VP in US. Langham Hospitality Group has appointed Michele Grosso as regional vice president, Operations, U.S., effective February 1, 2026. He will continue to serve as managing director of The Langham, Boston while assuming his regional responsibilities. Grosso will oversee hotel operations across the group’s U.S. portfolio, spanning two brands, The Langham Hotels and Resorts and Eaton, to enhance the guest experience, support commercial objectives and maintain brand standards. Prior to LHG, Grosso spent much of his career with Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts, holding senior operational roles around the world.

New president at Mullen. Newton Square, Pennsylvania-based Mullen Hospitality Management (MHM) has appointed Javier Coll as president to lead the company’s new third-party management strategy. A globally recognized hospitality executive and real estate investor, Coll brings more than 30 years of international hospitality and investment experience with deep expertise in branded resort development across the Caribbean and Latin America. Before joining MHM, Coll advised financial groups, private equity firms, REITs, and investment funds. He previously served as global head of growth for the Hyatt Inclusive Collection. He held several senior leadership roles at Hyatt, including group president of Business Development and Strategy, executive vice president, COO and CFO. He was a founding partner of AMResorts.

Pan Pacific adds to exec team. Singapore-based Pan Pacific Hotels Group has added to its executive team, naming Celine Du as chief commercial and marketing officer and Kate Loh as head of development. Du will oversee PPHG's commercial strategy and performance across its portfolio. She is a seasoned commercial strategist with over three decades of experience across some of the world's most prestigious luxury hotel brands. Loh previously served as director of development until 2022.

Valor names new CFO. Atlanta-based Valor Hospitality Partners has promoted Paul Nisbett as its new global CFO. He steps into the global role after serving as CFO for the company’s EMEA region since joining the company in September 2015. He has held senior finance positions with several brands over the past 30 years.