New Leadership in Asia Pacific for Preferred Hotel Group
Ananya Narayan Named Area Managing Director, Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa
HONG KONG - October 28, 2011 - Preferred Hotel Group™, a leading provider of sales and marketing support to independent hotels around the world, is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Ananya Narayan to Area Managing Director of Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa (APMEA), effective 4 October. Mr. Narayan will continue to hold his current role as Senior Vice President - Global Strategy for the company. He succeeds Mr. Mark Simmons, Area Managing Director, Asia.
“At Preferred Hotel Group, our goal is to create a powerful partnership with our member hotels, and we strive to have the right mix of talent, skills, and experience in place,” said Lindsey Ueberroth, President, Preferred Hotel Group. “Ananya's strategic insights and deep industry knowledge, coupled with his strong relationships, make him an ideal leader for these regions.”
“I am confident that Ananya's direction and vision, together with the expertise of Preferred Hotel Group team members in the regions, will drive greater benefits for our member hotels and expand our brand awareness in these areas.”
With the support of six Regional Directors based in key cities such as Shanghai, Tokyo, and New Delhi, Mr. Narayan and the leadership team will work to provide unique and innovative solutions in an effort to generate greater revenue for member hotels.
Mr. Narayan brings over 16 years of industry experience to this position, and has been a integral part of Preferred Hotel Group's executive team since 2005. As the first Area Managing Director for Asia Pacific, he established the company's Hong Kong office, and in three years the region's membership grew from 13 to 47 members. In 2008, Mr. Narayan relocated to Dubai to assume the roles of Area Managing Director - India, Middle East and Africa, and Senior Vice President - Global Strategy in an effort to spearhead the development of the company's newest emerging markets.
Prior to joining Preferred Hotel Group, Mr. Narayan held several roles for the Hyatt corporation, including Director of Strategic Marketing, Asia Pacific for Hyatt International and Director of Marketing at Grand Hyatt Hong Kong.
In addition, in the Middle East, Mr. Jose Ventura, Vice President, Business Development - IMEA, and now also Regional Director, Middle East & Africa, will assume Mr. Narayan's responsibilities, while Ms. Lynne Ireland's responsibilities remain as Area Managing Director - Australia, New Zealand & Pacific.
About Preferred Hotel Group™
With more than 850 best-in-class hotels and resorts in 70 countries, Preferred Hotel Group™ represents six distinctive brands: Preferred Hotels® & Resorts, Preferred Boutique™, Summit Hotels & Resorts™, Sterling Hotels™, Historic Hotels of America®, and Preferred Residences™, a membership-based exchange program for luxury shared ownership resorts. Preferred Hotel Group also offers I Prefer™, a complimentary global guest benefit program, and Preferred Golf™, a membership-based program that grants access to over 100 of the world's most renowned golf resorts. For more information, visit us on the web at www.PreferredHotelGroup.com and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.