PEOPLE update as of Sept. 11, 2018

The Hotel Association of Canada is pleased to share the news
that HAC’s president, Susie Grynol, gave birth to a healthy baby girl on August
7th. Both baby and mom are doing well. Baby was born at 9:09 a.m., on her due date, weighing in
at 8.8 lbs. Her name is Sélah Suzanne Abdulla. 

”We are told that Sélah
likes to sleep during the day, and party all night – perhaps preparing for a
career in hospitality?! 

Please join us in wishing Susie and her family a
wonderful and restful leave period,” said HAC's Alana Don in an email.
 At the helm while Susie is away is Alison Evans. Alison
transitioned in July and has fully assumed her new role now. She can be
contacted by email at aevans@hotelassociation.ca or by phone (613) 237-7149 ext. 105.

Mark Hope has been promoted to the position of vice-president, development and revenue strategy at Coast Hotels. Hope has been with Coast for more than 24 years, starting as director of marketing and sales for the Coast Plaza Hotel & Suites Vancouver, and rising through progressive appointments to his new position. Before he worked at Coast, he held operational positions with Delta Hotels, CP Hotel & Resorts (Now Fairmont Hotels), amongst others. Hope has also served in a volunteer capacity on several boards including as the chair of the Canadian Sport Institute, the chair of the Meeting Professionals International Foundation of Canada, and as a member of the Canadian Lodging News Editorial Advisory Board.

Mandy Choi has been promoted to corporate director, revenue analysis at Westmont Hospitality Group, based in Mississauga, Ont. She has been with Westmont for almost three years, previously serving as regional revenue manager

. Prior to that, she worked at Hilton Windsor for 13 years, starting as night auditor and rising to become revenue manager overseeing management of rates, inventory, channel distribution, and all reservations, reservation processes and procedures to strategically increase revenue and profits for the hotel. Choi holds a Hotel Revenue Management Certificate (eCornell) from Cornell University.

Marc Oliver Hess has been appointed as Aareal Bank's
new chief financial officer. He will assume the function
of chief financial officer, which to date has been part of the role assumed by
CEO Hermann J. Merkens, in addition to his other duties. Hess will
additionally assume responsibility for the treasury division; going forward, he
will thus also maintain relationships with debt investors. Hess was appointed CFO of Deutsche Postbank AG in 2007, a position he held until
leaving the bank at the end of March 2018.

Radisson Hotel Group recently announced the
appointment of Catherine Higgins Whiteside as vice-president of marketing
in the Americas. Prior to joining Radisson Hotel Group, Higgins
Whiteside served as chief marketing and communications officer at Anchor Bank. Before Anchor Bank,
Higgins Whiteside spent 10 years as vice-president of marketing at Wells Fargo
Bank where she developed, managed and executed marketing strategies for a $27
billion division of the bank with operations in the U.S. and Canada.

Choice Hotels International, Inc. has promoted Pete Metzger to franchise
development regional vice president of the Ascend Hotel Collection brand. In
this new role, Metzger will lead the growth of the brand’s footprint in North
America and the Caribbean.
Metzger
has been an integral member of Choice’s development team for several years,
most recently serving as director for the Ascend Hotel Collection brand.
Earlier
in his career, Metzger held various sales and franchise development positions
within the industry, including a global sales manager for Choice’s other
upscale brand, Cambria Hotels.

From
smaller to larger organizations, across a variety of hospitality and service
sectors, Grace Alaimo has constantly delivered exceptional results. She has now joined
JRoss Hospitality Recruiters to continue to deliver top grade results for
JRoss' clients as a recruiter from their Toronto office. Her first role in the the hospitality industry was as conference and events coordinator for Dolce International. Turning to
her passion – seniors living – Grace then joined Amica Mature Lifestyles and then Rivera. She then moved to A Place For Mom as partner services manager, focusing on developing and servicing a network of quality seniors living partners.

Hawksworth
Restaurant in the Rosewood Hotel Georgia, Vancouver, has welcomed Quinton Bennett as its new chef de cuisine. Bennett
has travelled the world pursuing his culinary career. The South African-born
chef has worked in kitchens across Europe, including Artisan and Noma, as well
as his most recent role as senior sous chef of Northcote Restaurant — chef
Nigel Haworth’s Michelin-starred restaurant in Lancashire, England. In his role at Hawksworth, Bennett will focus on highlighting local fare
and the diverse offerings of the region.

Choice Hotels International has promoted Stacey Werner Shapiro to
vice-president and assistant general counsel. In addition to supporting many
strategic business projects, Werner Shapiro will expand her role to manage the legal
aspects of real estate and investment initiatives for the company’s upscale
brand, Cambria Hotels. Werner
Shapiro joined Choice Hotels in 2009 and, throughout her successful tenure, has
held roles of increasing responsibility. Most recently, Werner Shapiro served
as senior legal advisor where she provided strategic counsel on a range of
topics, including commercial contracts, intellectual property, technology,
e-commerce and growth initiatives. She also played a central role in the
company’s acquisition and integration of WoodSpring Suites.