IHG completes marketing restructure

InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has completed the restructuring of its Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) sales & marketing operation with two key new positions and three senior appointments.

Rick Harvey Lam has been appointed to the newly-created role of Vice President Commercial for Continental Europe, Christopher Hale joins as the new Vice President Marketing & Commercial EMEA and Karin Nielsen has become Vice President Brand Development & Delivery EMEA.

The additions to the leadership team – headed by William Morris, Senior Vice President Sales & Marketing EMEA – complete a strategic restructuring of the EMEA sales & marketing operation which takes full effect from 1 January 2008.

The newly restructured team will deliver IHG’s growth strategy in key markets and areas over the next five years, building strong differentiated brands and generating excellent hotel returns across EMEA.

Rick Harvey Lam joins on 15 December from Center Parcs Europe where he was Marketing Director Europe. Before Center Parcs he held senior brand marketing roles with the Walt Disney Company. Rick steps into one of the four newly formed Vice President Commercial roles principally to lead integration of sales, marketing and revenue management across Continental Europe.

Former British Airways and Telewest Communications, now Virgin Media, marketer Christopher Hale joins IHG on 1 December from Collinson Group where, as Marketing Director, he re-launched its flagship Priority Pass consumer brand. With all media activity across EMEA now fully integrated into this new Marketing & Communications team, all disciplines will come under Christopher’s leadership.

On 12 November Karin Nielsen joined the renamed Brand Development & Delivery team from IHG’s Asia Pacific operation where she was most recently regional director of sales & marketing, responsible for Australia, New Zealand and South Pacific. Karin will lead the brand development teams for the Holiday Inn, Express by Holiday Inn, Crowne Plaza and Staybridge brands, to further strengthen the proposition for each brand in the EMEA region.

Karin and Christopher will report directly into William Morris, while Rick will have a dual report to Morris and Chief Operations Officer for Continental Europe, Robin Wicks.

The new structure heralds an integrated approach to sales and marketing. At the heart of Morris’ operation sits a matrix of Vice Presidents – four discipline strategists (brand development; planning, performance integration & insight; marketing & communications and sales), plus commercial Vice Presidents for each of IHG four EMEA divisions (UK, Continental Europe, Middle East & Africa and InterContinental Europe).

The remaining discipline experts reporting directly to William Morris are Nick Barton, who has been promoted to Vice President, Planning, Performance, Integration & Insight, and Nick Grandvoinet , who continues as Vice President EMEA Sales.

“As brand managers we are always looking at ways to evolve the strength and appeal of our brand flags. Sales and marketing have been at the heart of EMEA’s strong performance in driving demand for our hotel brands over the past three years. The appointment of Rick, Christopher and Karin completes a restructuring which will further add to the levels of skill offered to our owners and see this growth continue,” said William Morris.