The latest industry appointments

OSCAR MUNOZ has become United Airlines’ new president & chief executive officer, following the resignation of Jeff Smisek. Munoz brings plenty of commercial experience to the airline, following roles with Coca-Cola, AT&T and, most recently, CSX Corporation, where he was president & chief operating officer.

AMIR NAHAI has been named as AccorHotels’ new chief executive officer for group food & beverage. A US national, Nahai was previously a partner at Bain & Company’s New York office and has more than 15 years’ experience in the hospitality, gaming, entertainment and technology sectors.

HANI JOAKIM has been appointed as Sabre’s new senior vice president of hospitality solutions product development. Joakim has been with Sabre for 19 years, most recently as vice president of e-commerce digital platform & technology services for Sabre Airline Solutions.

PROTEEK SENGUPTA has been announced as Malaysia Airlines’ new head of revenue management. Sengupta has extensive experience with the national carrier, having started his career in the revenue management department. Most recently he was head of network strategy & planning.

NEERJA BHATIA has been appointed as Etihad Airways’ new vice president for India and the Sub-Continent. Ms Bhatia joined Etihad in 2004 as sales manager for Western India, shortly after the airline had launched its first flights to Mumbai. She was later promoted to the role of GM for India.

IVY CHEE has been appointed as the Anantara Vacation Club’s new director of marketing alliances – travel & leisure, tasked with develop partnerships with travel agencies, tour operators and other partners. She joins following a long spell with PATA, where she served as the regional director for East Asia.

JAY PENNO has become the new general manager at the Best Western Patong Beach, Phuket. An Australian national, Penno has extensive experience in resort properties his home country, and most recently served as regional general manager for two Coral Sea Hotels in Lae, Papua New Guinea.

PAUL LIM has been named as Anantara Vacation Club’s new director of marketing alliances. He joins the company with more than 10 years’ industry experience, most recently with the Australia & New Zealand (ANZ) Banking Group. He also has experience in event management, PR and sales promotions.

MIGUEL DE MELO has been named as New World Saigon Hotel’s new director of food & beverage. With more than 15 years’ experience in Asia, Europe, the Middle East and US, de Melo has worked with a series of international hotel groups, including Hyatt, Hilton and Starwood.

ANDREAS KOHN has become the new director of sales & marketing at the Ritz-Carlton Millenia Singapore. The move marks a return to the hotel for Kohn, who previously held the same position from 2007 to 2012. In between, he worked for the Viceroy Hotel Group in Abu Dhabi and Mandarin Oriental Singapore.

SCOTT FLAXMAN has become the new executive chef at Villa Zolitude Resort & Spa, the pool villa resort in Phuket. Chef Scott has previously worked in Europe, Singapore, Maldives and Thailand, most recently with Sireeampan in Chiang Mai and Glow Elixir in Koh Yao Yai, southern Thailand.

FABIEN GASTINEL has become the Ritz-Carlton Millenia Singapore’s new executive assistant manager for food & beverage. A French national, Gastinel started his career with Accor and has since working with Shangri-La, Kempinski, Fairmont and Oberoi in Europe, Middle East and Asia.