Denihan Hospitality Group Names Three New VPs

Cheryl Franz, Wendy Pong and Susan Weigel

• 
  SAVE
• 
  SHARE
• 
  TEXT SIZE
• 
  PRINT
• 
  COMMENT
• 
  PDF

. August 29, 2013

New York, NY - August 29, 2013 - Denihan Hospitality Group, a full-service hotel management and development company that owns and operates boutique hotels in major urban markets in the U.S., has announced the appointment of three new vice presidents, according to David Duncan, Denihan's president. They include: Cheryl Franz, Vice President, Learning & Organizational Development; Wendy Pong, Vice President, Asset Management; and Susan Weigel, Vice President, Revenue Management.

Cheryl Franz Vice President, Learning & Organizational Development, in a newly created position, is responsible for managing and supporting the assessment of organizational needs and the design, implementation and evaluation of programs and learning solutions that facilitate the professional development of Denihan team members, across brands.

With more than 15 years of experience in this field, Franz formerly served as Director of Learning and Organizational Effectiveness at Broadridge Financial Solutions, and held key positions at Pfizer, Inc. She also serves as an adjunct professor at Columbia University - Teachers College.

Wendy Pong , Vice President, Asset Management, oversees a portfolio of eight owned hotels and is responsible for aligning property operating performance ownership objectives to maximize real estate value.

Pong has over 20 years of experience in the hospitality industry. Prior to joining Denihan, Pong held various managerial roles at Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, including Director of Owner Services and Senior Manager, Real Estate Investment Management. Previously, she was with HVS International's consulting and valuation division.

Susan Weigel , the company's new Vice President, Revenue Management and Distribution, leads a 36 person team that is responsible for maximizing revenues through the creation of strategic initiatives in pricing, revenue management, and channel distribution and technology innovations for the company.

Weigel joins Denihan from Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide where she served as Vice President of Channel Intelligence within Customer Insight & Analytics, working closely with the Revenue Management, Distribution and Marketing divisions to develop and measure Starwood's revenue and distribution strategies globally. She is a former Systems Director for Delta Airlines and specialized in analytics for American Airlines.

Denihan Hospitality Group is the largest owner/operator of boutique hotels in Manhattan. Known for its customer-centric philosophy, Denihan works equally hard to cultivate talent internally as well as achieve its growth goals through strategic management and development of luxury boutique hotels throughout the country.

About Denihan Hospitality Group

Celebrating 50 years as a privately-held, full service management and development company, Denihan Hospitality Group owns and/or operates 14 boutique hotels in major urban markets throughout the U.S. Denihan has built a world-class lodging investment platform within the boutique hotel space, creating value by acquiring, repositioning and managing independent hotels.

The Denihan portfolio includes properties operating under The James and Affinia Hotels brands, as well as Manhattan luxury independents, The Surrey and The Benjamin, and additional independent properties in New York City. Denihan's hotels include an impressive list of chef-driven restaurants and bars, including Iron Chef Geoffrey Zakarian's The National Bar and Dining Rooms at The Benjamin; David Burke Kitchen at The James New York and David Burke's Primehouse at The James Chicago; Daniel Boulud's Cafe Boulud at The Surrey; Art Smith's Art and Soul at the Liaison Capitol Hill, an Affinia hotel in Washington, D.C.; and James Beard nominee Kris Wessel's Florida Cookery at The James Royal Palm.

The company's uniquely guest-centric approach, refined through the past 50 years, has made it an industry leader in hospitality, property and restaurant development, as well as hotel operations, management and marketing. In 2012, Denihan was named to Inc. Magazine's 500|5000 list of Fastest Growing Companies for the fourth year in a row, where it topped the list of full-service hotel companies. More details can be found at www.denihan.com.