Egon Zehnder Recruits CEO for Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts

September 23, 2016 – Egon Zehnder has recruited Olivier Chavy as chief executive officer of Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts. Jean-Gabriel Pérès had previously announced his intention to retire after 17 years of leadership. The company sought a new CEO that could “drive value-accretive initiatives” which include the development of commercial activities and the delivery of system integration, enhanced distribution and active yield management, according to the hotel.

Mr. Chavy is a veteran of the hospitality industry with a 28-year track record in hotel operations and brand management. He has solid operating experience, including hotel openings on three different continents. Formerly, he served as international head, global brand performance of luxury & lifestyle brands, for Hilton Worldwide. Most recently, he served as president and CEO of Wilson Associates, a global interior architectural design firm.

Driving Growth for a Venerable Swiss Brand

“Olivier will continue to drive value for Mövenpick’s shareholders, hotel ownership partners, employees and guests alike,” said Jürgen Fischer, chairman of Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts. “I am sure that Olivier will propel the company into the next chapter of growth, building on the impressive, existing development pipeline, which will allow us to grow Mövenpick’s network to more than 100 upscale, full-service hotels in the very near future.”

“I am thrilled to be joining the leadership team at Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts and to be representing this venerable Swiss brand,” said Mr. Chavy. “In accepting this role, I look forward to driving the next phase of growth for the company with the support of the MH&R board, the expertise of the management team and the strong relationships with our business partners.”

Mövenpick is an international upscale hotel management company with over 16,000 staff members. It is represented in 24 countries with 83 hotels, resorts and Nile cruisers currently in operation. Around 20 properties are planned or under construction, including those in Chiang Mai (Thailand), Bali (Indonesia) and Marrakech (Morocco).

Egon Zehnder’s travel & hospitality practice is led by Christoph Wahl, based in Berlin. His expertise covers transportation, travel and hospitality and he counsels international clients in CEO recruitment and succession planning for a range of leadership roles, including CEO, COO, CCO, executive chairman, head of strategy & planning, and head of supply chain management.

Over the past five years Zehnder’s travel & hospitality practice has completed over 700 searches, working with clients on senior general management positions, as well as on specific mandates for key functional sector-specific leaders.

After taking a massive hit during the Great Recession, employment and hiring within the hotel and hospitality industry has begun to rebound, according to recruiters working throughout the sector. In the last year, according to one set of survey metrics, the industry added 527,000 jobs (2.6 million since 2004). That number is forecasted to increase this year, as global tourism and traveling in general are expected to rise.

Contributed by Dale M. Zupsansky, Managing Editor, Hunt Scanlon Media

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