IHG Names Gopal Rao, Regional Vice President, Sales & Marketing, for Canada
ATLANTA, GA, November 16, 2007. IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) [LON: IHG, NYSE: IHG (ADRs)], one of the world's largest hotel groups by number of rooms, has named Gopal Rao, regional vice president, Sales & Marketing, for Canada.
Based in Toronto and reporting to Mark Wells, senior vice president, Brand Performance, The Americas, Mr. Rao will be responsible for the Sales and Marketing direction for IHG's brands in Canada.
"Gopal brings a wealth of relevant experience to his new role, which, along with his strong leadership and communication skills, will be crucial as we continue to expand the marketing and sales impact for our hotels in Canada," said Mark Wells.
Mr. Rao most recently served as vice president, Sales & Marketing, Travelodge Canada, where he was responsible for leading the sales, marketing, business development and franchise administration departments. He was recognized for expanding the Travelodge brand presence within Canada through his achievements in new partnership opportunities, electronic marketing and loyalty program offerings. He also has held various strategic sales and marketing roles with Royal Host Hotels & Resorts.
Mr. Rao recently earned his master's degree in Business Administration from Queen University's School of Business, at Kingston, Ontario, and holds a degree in Hotel Administration and Food Technology from Mumbai, India.
Notes to Editors:
InterContinental Hotels Group PLC (IHG) of the United Kingdom [LON:IHG, NYSE:IHG (ADRs)] is one of the world's largest hotel groups by number of rooms. IHG owns, manages, leases or franchises, through various subsidiaries, over 3,800 hotels and more than 571,000 guest rooms in nearly 100 countries and territories around the world. IHG owns a portfolio of well recognized and respected hotel brands including InterContinental(R) Hotels & Resorts, Crowne Plaza(R) Hotels & Resorts, Holiday Inn(R) Hotels and Resorts, Holiday Inn Express(R), Staybridge Suites(R), Candlewood Suites(R) and Hotel Indigo(R), and also manages the world's largest hotel loyalty program, Priority Club(R) Rewards with over 37 million members worldwide.
The company pioneered the travel industry's first collaborative response to environmental issues as founder of the International Hotels and Environment Initiative (IHEI). The IHEI formed the foundations of the Tourism Partnership launched by the International Business Leaders Forum in 2004, of which IHG is still a member today. The environment and local communities remain at the heart of IHG's global corporate responsibility focus.
IHG offers information and online reservations for all its hotel brands at www.ihg.com and information for the Priority Club Rewards program at www.priorityclub.com. For the latest news from IHG, visit our online Press Office at www.ihg.com/media.
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